Adieu
by Peachuzoid
Summary: Just as things seemed to be going right for a change, the world had to end. He lost the one woman who meant anything to him and it's up to him to find her daughter and keep her safe. Nothing was going to happen to them. Not if he could help it. Rated T for language, some violence. OCs. Possible pairing(s)?
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Okay, so… I've actually had this idea for a long time now. And I finally sat down and gave it some thought. Turns out I do like it and hopefully I can make it work out. Bringing in some OCs in this one.

The idea for this title came from the band Enter Shikari. They have a song titled "Adieu" and if you are interested, you should check it out. They're a pretty rad band. (I do believe "Adieu" is French for "good-bye"—a more permanent sense of the word rather than "see you later".)

* * *

**_Prologue_.**

It seemed just like any other Thursday for Elena Fischer. She sat alone at the bar in the local diner before heading to work. It was what she did every week day morning. There wasn't a particular reason as to why she did it; she just liked the atmosphere and giving the poor place some business from time to time.

Elena could almost tell what time certain people were going to walk through those doors and sometimes she even knew what they were going to order before they said anything. She overheard them on previous days, not that she was keeping track or being a creep.

She sipped on her coffee as she scanned through the newspaper laid out in front of her. The diner had a low hum to it—it was pretty quiet for only going on seven in the morning. She thought about what her plans would be for this weekend. They probably wouldn't be anything too grand. Her Friday nights usually ended with her curled up in a blanket watching a couple movies back to back.

The little bell chimed as the door to the diner swung open. Elena folded the newspaper back up and slid it over into the empty seat next to her for someone else to read. Out of habit, she glanced up at the clock on the wall and over towards the middle of the counter. Her guess was that it was Tom Sanders, a man who worked across the street at the gas station. But she quickly realized she was wrong and that news intrigued her—so did the man standing where Tom usually stood at this time.

Elena stared down the counter at the man. He looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, close to her own age. He had dark sandy blonde hair just long enough to cover the tips of his ears, a little bit of scruffiness to his face. He wore an old plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of worn out jeans with a hole in the knee. She also noted that he was wearing a pair of brown boots. Wow, had she really looked the guy over that thoroughly?

She stared down at him, fixed on his face. He was leaning on his elbows talking to Pam behind the counter. He looked familiar now that Elena thought about it. She couldn't quite place who he was though, and where she knew him from. He certainly didn't work with her.

She knew him from high school. It suddenly clicked then. She was staring at an older version of Daryl Dixon—a twelve year older version at that. She found herself slightly smiling as she tried to recall her high school days. She remembered what he looked like back then; his hair had been a little longer and a tad bit darker, he usually kept a clean shave, and he seemed a lot scrawnier then as well. She remembered him being quite the firecracker if anyone got him started. People learned pretty quick not to mess with Daryl Dixon because he wasn't afraid to speak with his fists. She also remembered him usually having visible cuts or bruises, whether it was a black eye or his arms. He had been in a couple fights with guys at school every so often. But she had never spoken to Daryl, not once in her entire life. She thought he seemed a little too chaotic, out of control. There were some days were she could see the hurt and pain in his expressions. Those were the days she wished she could have just stepped forward from the shadows and made her appearance known. Maybe he just needed a hug.

But then he was walking over towards her, closing in the gap between them as she stiffened on that bar stool. She had been staring at him all this time. He probably thought she was crazy.

"You got a problem or somethin'? You've been starin' at me for the past few minutes now." Daryl confronted her, leaning against the counter with a bar stool separating them.

"No, no," Elena shook her head. "Sorry, I was just trying to figure out where I knew you from. Um… Daryl Dixon?"

Daryl raised an eyebrow and stared back at her now, "Should I know you?"

Elena felt a little nervous being confronted. She wasn't sure if he was agitated or if that was how he always behaved. Another reason now why she wished she would have spoken to him in the past.

"Yeah… Well, not necessarily. We went to high school together. Elena Fischer. I… don't think we ever talked," she finally muttered up a response. She was shocked to see Daryl smile.

"Oh, yeah. You was a quiet one," Daryl nodded. "Elena Fischer, huh? Crazy."

"I guess so. The shy awkward child," Elena forced a smile.

"Nah. I never even knew ya back then, but I'd bet ya you weren't awkward. _I_ was the definition of awkward," Daryl jabbed his thumb into his chest.

Elena glanced back over at the clock and clapped her hand over her mouth. It was already 7:40. She had to be in class and ready to teach at 8, and that only gave her about ten minutes to drive there and at least 5 minutes of walking to reach the class room.

"I am so sorry, but I just realized the time. I have to go to work." Elena drank the rest of her coffee and scooted the mug across the counter. She clutched her purse as she got down off of the bar stool.

"What'd ya know. I just got off work," Daryl looked over at the clock. "You best get headin' out if yer gonna make it on time to where ever ya gotta be."

"It's not far from here, just in town," Elena smiled. "Nice seeing you, Daryl."

"Yeah, you too. Maybe I'll see ya around."

* * *

Whether Daryl meant it as a friendly parting or he wasn't kidding—Elena seemed to keep running into him around town after that. She had run into him again at the diner and once at the grocery store. He had mentioned possibly meeting up sometime and actually talking, and for whatever reason, Elena chose the damn local bar. She wasn't sure if she was just feeling gutsy or if she was trying to show Daryl up, but she wasn't a big drinker. She didn't even go out that often. Apparently Daryl Dixon was already becoming a bad habit.

"Alright, 'fess up," Daryl started, beer in hand. "I ain't seen you since high school. Hell, I barely even knew ya then. And now all of a sudden we're just runnin' into each other?"

"If you are implying that I am stalking you, then you are so very wrong," Elena smiled. She spun the beer mug around on the bar nervously. After Michael, she had never really messed around with trying to even _talk_ to another guy. She just kept to herself, minded her own business. She didn't need a guy in her life. She had more important things to tend to, higher priorities. But she had to admit, it did feel a little nice to get out for once, and with a not-so-familiar face.

"So… Did ya ever get to work on time that morning? With like fifteen minutes to spare?"

Elena realized he was trying to make conversation. He was doing better than her so far.

"Oh, yeah. I just work at the high school here. I'm a teacher," Elena shrugged.

"You got out of high school just to go back? Man, that sucks. No offense," Daryl took a drink.

"High school wasn't all that bad. And I like teaching. It's… rewarding."

"Sure, yeah," Daryl gave her a look as if to tell her that she's crazy.

"Alright, Mr. Dixon. Where is it that you work?" Elena placed her elbow on the bar and rested the side of her head in her hand, looking over at him.

"I… have this shitty job where I have to bounce back and forth from third shift to days runnin' machines and playin' with hot steel." Daryl finished off his first beer and pushed the empty glass back. Elena glanced down at hers and realized she only drank half of it so far. _Damn_…

"Really? That's interesting," Elena took a few more gulps to try and keep up. She wasn't aiming to get drunk but she didn't want to seem like she couldn't handle a beer or two.

"Why? 'Cause ya woulda never thought I'd have a job?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"No—No, that's not what I meant," Elena shook her head, almost spitting the beer back into the glass.

"Chill, I was jus' kiddin'." Daryl smiled. "First impressions an' all that shit."

Elena was about to tell him that he never gave her a bad first impression but she quickly bit her tongue, realizing she'd be lying if she did. Maybe not necessarily a _bad_ first impression, but it certainly wasn't great.

"I have to ask… Of all the places you could have picked, why a bar?" Daryl questioned. "I mean, don't get me wrong but I can tell yer not a big drinker. And you seem uncomfortable."

Elena bit her lip. He had busted her. She was sure that it was all very obvious from the start, but she didn't necessarily think he would call her on it. Though he did seem like the bold type.

"I'm not sure?" Elena forced a laugh. "You're right, I'm not a big drinker. It's just..." She paused. "I'm pretty lame. I don't go out very often. I usually just stay home with my daughter, just the two of us."

Elena noticed a change in Daryl's facial expression. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, like he lightened up a bit—not as fierce.

"There's nothin' wrong with that. I'm not a big drinker either. Just figured I'd go with it," he replied.

Elena let the silence fill the air then. She was unsure of what to say, feeling like she had already blew it. She was terrible at these kinds of things; socializing, talking to men, being out in public. It seemed crazy but that was how she felt. But for some reason, it never bothered her being a teacher.

"You wanna get outta here?" Daryl was staring at her. "I mean, just… go for a walk or something."

Elena finally forced herself to look back at him and managed a smile. "I'd like that."

Daryl pulled his wallet from his back pocket as he stood up and tossed enough money onto the bar for the bartender.

* * *

The cool Georgia night air felt nice compared to the regular hot days or the inside of that bar. Elena took a mental note that Daryl had paid for the bill and he opened the door for her. A gentleman—something she didn't think she'd ever peg Daryl Dixon for, and certainly not twelve years ago.

They walked down the sidewalk in silence for a couple minutes, both of them searching for something to say. Elena didn't really have many close friends that she truly kept in contact with like she should. Everything just seemed to go downhill after Michael. Everything bad that had ever happened had come from Michael. Except one thing.

"So you said you have a daughter?" Daryl glanced over at her. He had his hands shoved in his jean pockets.

"Yeah," Elena nodded. "Her name is Leah."

"That's a pretty name. How old is she?"

"She's ten. Just turned ten." Elena continued, "She's staying with my sister and her husband right now. I didn't leave her at home by herself."

Daryl laughed, "You don't really strike me as the type to abandon a child at home. I wasn't thinking it."

"Her father would have thought otherwise. He would have just left her..." Elena blurted. "Sorry."

"No, it's cool. Yer fine," Daryl nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that."

It just seemed like for whatever reason, Elena just kept blurting things out. Some things she never even fully shared with her sister because she felt like she was a burden. What made Daryl any different was beyond Elena, but she just kept rattling things off.

She told him all about Leah—that she was ten and she was in the 4th grade. She explained that she was stuck in 4th grade because her birthday didn't fall on the right date and that she should really be in fifth. She told him that she was the highlight of her _life_. Leah was the one good thing that she got out of Michael.

And Michael. Oh lord, she blabbed about Michael. She told Daryl how they had met right out of high school and how things happened so fast. She had Leah when she was only twenty years old. Michael never really supported her and he was never really there for her or for Leah. He hardly ever spoke to his daughter. He became aggressive overtime and he abused alcohol. There had been a few spills between them when she didn't quite do something right or she didn't please him. But she had made herself realize that she didn't deserve that. She didn't need any part of that in her life and she didn't want him to ever hurt Leah. She filed for a divorce only two years after being married and she easily took custody over their daughter. Michael had never seen either of them since.

Then she told Daryl about her sister. Skyler was only three years older than her, but Skyler always took bragging rights. She loved her sister and appreciated all of the help she had received from her through life. She had been there for her when things took a turn for the worse with Michael. She kept Leah a lot when Elena was trying to work through the problems. Between Skyler, her husband Matt, and their daughter Hannah—they were truly the only people she thought she would ever need in her lifetime. Just her small family, the only family that she kept in contact with. Her mother had passed away when she was nineteen and her father completely closed himself in. There was no reaching out to him and she was so young, she really wasn't sure what to do. That's when she had started to become really close to Skyler, when it wasn't all about jealousy and who could do what better. Skyler had her own place—her own apartment—that she let her move into.

Then that was when she had met Michael and everything spiraled downhill from there. Sometimes she wondered if her mother's death had just completely thrown her off course and maybe that's why she had stuck with Michael, looking for support and someone to just share life with. At the time, he seemed like a decent man. And with him, she was able to get her own place so she didn't feel like a burden to her sister who was trying to live her own life.

"I'm so sorry. I never had any intentions of rambling my head off about my life story or anything..." Elena pushed her hair back, feeling hot. She sat next to him on the sidewalk with their backs propped up against the wall of a closed bakery shop. She had rambled for so long that they just decided to sit down before they ended up walking miles away from where they were parked and having to trek all the way back.

"Ramble away as far as I'm concerned," Daryl shrugged. "Your family seems nice. And you seem fairly happy, so that's good. I'm glad you were able to get away from Michael. Sounds like it's the best thing for you and Leah, even if yer stuck by yourself. Single parent."

"It really is. I don't even think Leah remembers him at all. She was somewhere close to three at the time. I'm glad he's out of our lives for good with no questions asked."

"Any man who treats a woman like that doesn't deserve ta have a woman in the first place," Daryl remarked.

Elena turned to look at Daryl now, her eyes flitting over him from his feet to his head. He had his legs bent and his arms resting across his knees staring out across the street. She wasn't sure what came over her in that moment because she found herself slowly inching closer. Daryl noticed this as he turned to look back at her. But he didn't move and he didn't say anything. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment and Elena realized that Daryl seemed to be nervously glancing back and forth between her eyes and her lips, examining her face. She could feel his breath on her face and she slowly pushed herself to him, her lips connecting with his.

Elena could tell that he was a bit stiff, afraid to move even though he was kissing back. She was actually afraid to move too. As much as she tried to calm herself in her head, she just couldn't make her hands cooperate with her brain.

Daryl placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back. Their eyes immediately locked and Elena was having a difficult time reading his face.

"Oh God, you're not married or anything are you?—" Elena's eyes searched his face for an explanation. Then she quickly scanned over his left hand, coming up bare with the realization that there was no wedding band.

Daryl looked a bit taken back, "What?—No, I'm not… I..." He stammered over his words as he scratched the back of his head, sitting up more and turning more to face her.

Elena smiled, "Good."

She slowly eased back into him, locking her lips with his once again. They both seemed to loosen up a bit more as time progressed. She grabbed a hold of his shirt by the collar and pulled herself closer as she could feel his hands travel behind her head and running through her hair. The kiss progressed and before Elena even realized it, she had managed to crawl into his lap, her tongue tracing his bottom lip.

But things never went further than that. He didn't force her to do anything; he wasn't trying to rip her clothes off. In fact, he had been the one to slowly pull away. And they had walked back together to their cars parked outside of the bar. He seemed like a genuine gentleman—and that was hard to come by these days.

At first she thought she was only making a move because she just desired it. It had been so long since she could just simply _kiss_ a man. But she came to find out she had more than just a desire for a kiss.

And really, that was all it took for Elena to fall for Daryl Dixon. That night plus a few more and he had quickly amounted from stranger to the one person she trusted with her life. It was around that time when they declared it to be a mutual feeling and a relationship.

And even though Elena was head over heels for him, she made him wait to meet Leah. She was nervous about him meeting her and likewise. She didn't want to get her hopes up and Daryl end up being another Michael. She didn't want to bring a man into Leah's life if he wasn't going to treat them right and stay with them. Her top priority was Leah and what was best for _her_. So if that was something that Daryl couldn't handle, then she would just have to say hello to the single life once again.

* * *

**I am really testing the waters here bringing OCs and this "romance" stuff into The Walking Dead. To be quite honest, it feels pretty strange—especially considering that it's Daryl. Haha. Ohh, and quick side note: her name is pronounced uh-lane-ah ("Alaina"). Not Ellen-a. Just to clear that up, just in case. Yeah!**

**Please review and let me know what you think! I would really appreciate it! Good or bad, I would love to hear from you! **


	2. Cross My Heart

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I realize that having Elena (and OCs in general) are kind of making Daryl OOC, but bear with me. I'm trying to still keep him "Daryl" but with a bit of a twist? Like… This is the Daryl that nobody sees deep down. Okay, deep deep down!

* * *

**_Cross My Heart_.**

**Two Years Later**

"Hey," Elena smiled at Daryl as she walked into the living room. "I didn't even hear you come home."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean ta startle ya," Daryl smiled in return. Elena joined his side as he stood in front of the TV glued to the news yet again. It had been at least a couple weeks since they were saying something about some kind of disease or virus. There was some kind of outbreak that had started overseas and was making its way around the globe at a pretty fast rate. Just a couple days ago, the verdict was that it had reached New York and still traveling. Of course there wasn't much information given other than stay indoors and avoid contact with those that are infected. Whatever this thing was, it was killing people—and in large quantities. It seemed to be wiping out the population in some places.

"That's terrible… And they still don't even have a clue, do they?" Elena folded her arms in front of her chest staring at the television as it switched to a commercial.

"When do they ever have a clue?" Daryl sighed. He turned to face Elena, gently cupping her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. She let out a small giggle as he smiled and kissed her again for good measure.

"I suppose Leah's happy to be spendin' the night at Skyler and Matt's? Getting away from us for a while." Daryl walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cabinet before sticking it under the faucet to get some water.

"Maybe happy to get away from _you_," Elena teased. "She loves me."

Daryl scoffed, "Uh huh, sure." He took a few sips of water as he walked back into the living room with the glass still in hand.

"I'm just kidding. She's loves you and you know it. You only spoil her all the time." Elena sat down on the couch and patted the empty cushion next to her. Daryl set his glass down on the coffee table just in front of the couch as he sat down next to her. Elena nestled into his side as he slid his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

Since meeting Elena that morning at the local diner, Daryl had never been happier in all his 32 years. It was like he became a whole new person after meeting her and being with her for two years. He had experienced love—what it felt like to _be _loved and appreciated. It took him a while just to get used to it. And even now he wasn't fully accustomed to it. He had talked to Elena a little bit about his past and she just seemed to accept him that much more. She was understanding. He still had his doubts deep down though. He had his old man and Merle to thank for that.

A loud static overcame the TV in that moment, snapping Daryl's full attention back to it. He watched as the gray fuzzy lines scribbled down across the screen as it gave off an audible hum before turning into a low screech-like siren.

Elena had sat up, placing a hand on his knee as she narrowed her eyes at the screen. "What's going on?..."

Daryl didn't answer her though. He only stared back at the screen as it turned into bright vertical colors before cutting to a live newsfeed from a nearby town.

"Oh, my God…" Elena whispered beside him, her hand clapped over her mouth.

And Daryl had to agree with that. He wasn't sure what to think. The television showed people running and screaming, absolutely terrified and frantic. There was a building on fire that burned in the distance. The camera feed was threatening to cut off, the audio and video signal weak. Then an anchorwoman had stepped out in front of it. Her clothes were a mess and her hair was disheveled. She looked like she regretted every wanting to be a news anchor standing there in that moment.

"…_The outbreak has reached Georgia. I repeat, the outbreak has reached Georgia. Stay indoors and refrain from any contact of those that are infected. If you can make it to Atlanta, there will be shelter, protection, and further explanation of this pandemic. Take caution and be advised…" _

Daryl jumped up to his feet and rushed to the nearest window overlooking the street. He peaked through the blinds and cursed under his breath. There was some kind of funny shit going on because what he was seeing didn't seem right. There were a few people walking down the middle of the street that were missing chucks out of their limbs, their clothes tattered. How were they alive and moving? They looked absolutely ill.

Then there was a shrill scream that pierced through the television as the camera seemed to smack into the ground. Daryl watched through the bit of static and tilted camera angle as he could see that very news woman crawl backwards, kicking and screaming. There were feet that shuffled past the camera now in view as that person just seemed to lounge at the woman and tear the flesh from her arm with its teeth.

They had never shown what this outbreak looked like or what it caused until now—they only warned everyone. Seeing it firsthand was a bit different, and Daryl wished he would have taken more of a precaution weeks ago. Whatever that thing was that tore through that woman's flesh was not human. Not unless cannibalism was a new disease.

Daryl turned the TV off and looked at Elena. She stood in front of the couch with her hand still covering her mouth in shock, her legs threatening to collapse from under her. She was terrified.

Daryl shook his head. He had to snap out of it. He had to act.

"Call Skyler—Get Leah on the phone," Daryl walked into the kitchen and tossed Elena the phone from off of the counter. Once she caught it and her shaky fingers start to dance across the digits he headed outside to the garage. He scanned the 12' x 22' room before he found an old wooden baseball bat and picked it up. Just the idea alone seemed ridiculous but it was all he could think of at the moment.

He locked the door behind him as he entered back into the kitchen. Elena was still fumbling with the phone in her hands, wiping her face.

"I—I can't get a hold of them. The lines are down or something," Elena shook her head. She looked up at Daryl from across the room and noticed that he had a baseball bat in hand, staring.

"Alright…" Daryl tried to think of the next best plan of action. They had to move. "Head upstairs, start throwin' some shit together. We're getting outta here."

"What do you mean? Where are we going?" Elena asked as they climbed the stairs, Daryl one step behind her.

"For starters, we're goin' to your sister's. Make sure they're okay, get Leah. Then it sounds like we're headed for Atlanta…" Daryl stepped into the bedroom from behind her. He quickly grabbed the nearest bag and threw it onto the bed. Daryl threw some clothes into the bag for both of them as Elena ran across the hall and seemed to raid the bathroom. She tossed a handful of things into the bag as well before they heard a window shatter downstairs. Elena and Daryl exchanged glances.

"You think that's good enough?" Elena motioned her hand towards the bag.

"It's gonna have to be," Daryl threw it over his shoulder. "Stay up here. I'm gonna see what's goin' on, run this to the truck." He clutched the wooden bat in his hand.

"No—" Elena gasped.

"I'll be right back," Daryl leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before he ran down the stairs. He slowed as he approached the last few, looking around and taking in what had caused the window to shatter. Those _things_ had managed to break in and climb through. Daryl grimaced at the sight of them. They were repulsive, half rotted walking corpses. What kind of virus, disease, outbreak was this?...

At the time, there were only three shuffling around in the living room and knocking things over in a clumsy manner. Daryl hit one with the bat to knock it back so he could bolt for the door through the kitchen. He ran outside and opened his truck door, tossing the bag inside. He was glad at a time like this that he never locked the damn piece of shit.

As he was about to run back inside for Elena, he stopped. He remembered he had that old Horton Scout 125 HD crossbow Merle had given him a few years back hanging in the garage from his hunting days. He figured if he could snatch that and throw it in the truck for good measure, it would make one hell of a weapon against these things with hardly any effort on his part. And as he had grabbed the crossbow and tossed it in the cab of his truck, he realized how wrong that seemed. Weren't these things human? At least they were at one point in time.

Daryl had just grabbed the doorknob to enter back inside the house when he could hear a scream.

_Elena_.

He threw the door open and bolted for the stairs, knocking one of those corpses back with the bat in the process. Once he reached the top of the stairs he realized that Elena trapped herself in the room with two of those creatures banging against the door. They noticed his appearance as one of them turned and started dragging its feet towards him.

At this point, he didn't care if those things were human or if they were ever coming back. He beat the one walking towards him into the wall but it just kept coming. The second one began to drift over now as he raised the bat and bashed the first one's head in. Its skull collapsed in on itself fairly easy as its blood spurted. Daryl didn't stop though. He turned and slammed the other one against the wall just in time before it could reach him. And just like the first one, he brought the bat down on its head until it splattered.

Daryl dropped the bat and threw the bedroom door open. He was relieved to see Elena. But his eyes were drawn to the red. Her shoulder was bleeding, covered in blood. Tears were running down her face as she stared back at him at a loss for words. She didn't have to explain, Daryl knew what happened. He could tell that one of those things must have taken a bite out of her shoulder, exposing torn tissue.

_Because he left her by herself, unprotected_.

"Shit, Elena…" Daryl pulled her towards him gently, looking closer at the wound. Maybe it wasn't all that bad. Surely he could help her patch it up. It was just mostly missing skin.

He pulled her into a hug as she began to cry into his chest. He didn't want her to be upset; he didn't want her to cry. She didn't deserve this.

"It'll be alright. You'll be just fine. Ain't nothin' gonna happen to ya," Daryl tried to soothe her, speaking softly in her ear. He ran a hand through her hair and kissed her on the forehead again. "We'll get in the truck and we'll go get Leah an' your sister. We'll head to Atlanta like they said on the news. It'll all be okay." But for some reason or another, he felt like it was all a lie. He wanted it to be true though—wanted it to be true more than anything.

There were now car alarms ringing out in the neighborhood as Daryl could hear more ruckus coming from downstairs. A door slamming and footsteps. Someone was here. And it wasn't until he heard his name being called out that he realized it was none other than Merle.

Daryl didn't yell anything in return. He just waited, figuring Merle would head upstairs eventually. Which he did.

"Hey…" Merle stood in the doorway. He stared at Daryl and Elena, his eyes also drawn to the blood. Daryl could tell he was debating on saying anything more, seeing Elena clinging onto him with tears rolling down her face. But he spoke up anyways, "She bit?"

Daryl glanced down at her. She refused to look back as he hesitantly nodded to Merle.

Merle sighed, "Ye know what's gonna happen, right? After ya git bit?"

Daryl could feel Elena's hands grip onto the back of his shirt as she forced herself to look over at Merle. Her hands began to tremble at his words.

"I witnessed it myself. The news ain't lyin'…" Merle continued, "There's a reason ya gotta stay away from the infected."

"No," Elena shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I—"

"Look, ain't no easy way o' puttin' it. Yer gonna die. An' yer gonna turn into one of 'em."

Elena immediately looked up into Daryl's face, her bottom lip trembling. She pressed her face into his chest and cried harder, her nails almost digging into his back now as she could probably rip his shirt at this point if she wanted to.

"Jesus Christ, Merle—" Daryl glared at him. "The hell's your problem?"

"What? Ya want me ta beat 'round the bush? Ain't sugar coatin' nothin'. Have ya seen this shit?" Merle scoffed.

Daryl ignored his brother as he tried to console Elena. He could feel tears stinging at his eyes now, a wave of anger, fear, and regret washing over him. He shouldn't have left her by herself. What the fuck was even going on? He rubbed her back and hugged her tight. He almost felt afraid to let her go. Like if he let her go, she was going to die. According to Merle she was. But he wasn't about to believe that, not for one second. He could fix it. It wasn't that deep. _He could fix it, damn it_.

"It's okay… Just remember what I told ya," Daryl whispered near her ear so that Merle couldn't run his mouth.

"C'mon, let's go," Merle motioned towards the stairs as he took off. Daryl made sure Elena was okay to follow as they went after him downstairs. There were no longer any of those rotten corpses walking around as Merle came to a halt in the kitchen. He appeared to be looking for something.

"Where're yer keys? We're getting' the hell outta here," Merle spoke up.

"We can't leave. We have to get a hold of Skyler. And Leah—We have to get Leah," Daryl shook his head. He was damn determined to follow through with his plans. He wasn't about to abandon them.

Merle closed the gap between them and grabbed Daryl by the chin, slightly pulling him forward and forcing him to look him in the eye. "I said where are yer keys, boy?"

Daryl shoved Merle off of him. He trudged over to where his keys were hung on the hook under the cabinet by the sink and grabbed them. "I ain't leavin' here without Elena. An' I ain't leavin' unless we're goin' to Skyler's." Daryl stared at Merle, staying close to Elena's side.

Merle cursed under his breath, dropping his gaze to the floor. Daryl knew there were probably a shit ton of words he wanted to throw at him—call him a pussy for wanting to hang back, wanting to try and save people when it was probably a lost cause. But Daryl didn't want to believe that. He wanted to be positive for _once_ in his goddamn life. They were going to be okay. Everyone was going to be okay. He could fix Elena's shoulder. They would find Leah, and Skyler, Matt, and Hannah. All of them would make it to safety until this blew over. That was that.

But out of nowhere, Merle sent a punch straight to Daryl's jaw. The hit had caught him completely off guard and threw him off balance as he was immediately sent stumbling backwards, crashing to the ground. He felt the back of his head collide with the hard kitchen floor. His vision started to close in on him. Elena's scream, Merle's lingering voice, the car alarms and chaos from out on the street… They all began to fade away as everything went black.

* * *

**Please, please, please let me know what you think? One click and a few keystrokes away? xoxo**


	3. Misery

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews! I love reading them! You guys are awesome. Please, keep 'em coming! I love to hear what you're thinking.

* * *

_**Misery.**_

_Daryl approached the front door and hesitated for a moment, glancing back and forth from the door to the doorbell. He shrugged and decided to just knock. It was Elena's house. And this was the day he was going to meet her daughter._

_The door opened but a few seconds later as Elena beamed back at him. "Hey, you. Come on in."_

_Daryl took a step inside and shut the door behind him. This was the third time he had been at her house within the past two or so months. And each time he had been there, he noticed it smelled wonderful. He couldn't quite place what exactly it smelled like—some kind of cinnamon spice? He figured it must have been a girl thing, candles and such._

_Daryl smiled back. He felt nervous and he had to tell himself not to chew on his thumb out of habit. Elena must have noticed because she only grinned that much more and leaned in and kissed him on the lips. It certainly took him by surprise if nothing else. _

_She led the way down the short hall into the kitchen where a girl sat at the table with papers sprawled out in front of her. The girl looked back at the sound of their footsteps before Elena spoke._

"_Leah, this is Daryl. Daryl, Leah."_

"_Hi," Leah's voice was quiet._

"_Hi, Leah. I've heard a lot about you," Daryl smiled. "I gotta say, it's nice to finally meet ya." He immediately noticed that she was a splitting image of her mom. She had long golden brown hair with bangs that seemed to showcase her hazel eyes. And even though she was sitting, Daryl could tell she looked to be pretty tall for her age. _

"_Yeah?" Leah smiled back at that. "Mom's talked about you quite a bit too." _

_Daryl couldn't resist glancing over at Elena and catching a slight blush on her cheeks. But he figured he'd give her a break as he took a few steps closer to Leah and looked down at what she was working on. "Homework?"_

"_Mhmm," Leah hummed. "'History homework'." She quoted her fingers in the air._

"_Well, that ain't so bad…" Daryl recalled his school days, the bits and pieces he could actually remember. He kind of enjoyed history. "But homework on a Friday? What kind of teacher you have?" He joked._

"_Right?" Leah made a face. "I hate homework."_

"_But it looks like ya got the right idea. Work on it now and get it over with. Then you're set for the weekend," Daryl explained. _

"_Very true…" Leah tapped her pencil against her chin as if she were in deep thought. Then she looked up at Daryl with a smirk, "I like you. You seem nice." _

"_Nah, really? You're just sayin' that," Daryl waved his hand dismissively at her as she giggled. He walked back over to Elena and caught the way she was now looking at him. Her eyes told him he must be doing something right. They had that sparkle to them. _

"_Leah's usually pretty shy. Glad someone could break through the walls." Elena ruffled Daryl's hair._

_Usually, Daryl wouldn't let someone get away with doing that. But because it was Elena he let it slide. He had never felt this way before with a girl. Well… woman. He had never let someone get this close to him. There was something about her—her gentleness, her caring persona, her innocence, her laugh, her smile, the way her hair fell from behind her ear and hung in her face. It all seemed odd and maybe even slightly childish but he really liked her. _

_Leah hopped up from her chair and pushed it in. She turned to face them, glancing back and forth between them. Leah looked as though she were observing something, picking it apart in her mind. Then her words explained it all._

"_Do you love him?" Leah raised an eyebrow._

"_Leah—" Elena gasped. Needless to say, she was shocked._

_Daryl took the initiative, "Love is a strong word. Kind of like 'hate'. They go hand in hand 'cause you can't have one without the other." He smiled at Leah, "Your mom can't know that this early on. It takes a while for something like that to develop." And if he wasn't mistaken, he caught a glimpse of a smile on Elena's face._

"_Kind of like what Daryl just said. It's only been a couple months." Elena looked over at Daryl. "We'll just have to see."_

_But it was later that night just before Daryl was about to head home when Leah threw yet another curve ball. Elena was in the kitchen while Daryl still sat on the couch with Leah. They had just finished watching Finding Nemo (a movie Leah claimed was one of her favorites) and Leah was staring him down again._

"_This is the happiest I've seen my mom in a long time," Leah whispered to Daryl. "Don't mess this up or I'll mess you up. Got it?"_

* * *

It took a moment for Daryl to realize where he was and what had happened when he came to. He was slumped against the passenger door of his old '73 Ford F-250. He sat up straight and rubbed his jaw where Merle had punched him earlier. It was still a bit sore but that was the least of his concerns. As he glanced straight ahead out the windshield, he noticed two things: 1) It was still night and 2) He was in a different town.

Daryl reached under the seat, his fingers brushed against leather. He always left it in his truck and he was glad he did. Once he had the knife in his hands, he attached the sheath to his belt and jumped out of the truck. There was no one in sight—No Merle, no Elena, no Leah… Everything seemed very still. It gave Daryl a bit of an eerie feeling as he tried to grasp his surroundings. He noticed Merle must have traveled on his Triumph when he showed up because it was now in the back of his truck. How Merle managed to get it there was beyond Daryl, but he really couldn't care less.

There were a few footsteps approaching from behind him as he quickly turned, knife at the ready. He sighed when he realized he was staring back at Merle.

"Looky there, yer awake. 'Bout time, Darlina," Merle grinned.

"What the hell happened!—You knocked me out! And—" Daryl stopped and lowered the knife. "…Elena?"

Merle shook his head, "Sorry, baby brother. Wasn't nothin' I could do. Had ta knock ya out jus' ta get ya to come with me. Wasn't gonna let ya die back there."

Daryl immediately dropped the knife and clenched his fists. He knew this would happen. He knew Merle would do this. He left Elena there to _die_. He didn't even think about trying to save her or anything. He didn't even bother to try to go by Skyler's. No, all Merle cared about was Merle. He knocked him out and drug him along because he didn't want to be alone.

"You son of a bitch!—" Daryl lunged at his brother, fist flying. He couldn't contain his anger. Not about this. Merle was wrong. Merle was _so_ very wrong.

Daryl landed a punch to Merle's face before they ended up in a small brawl. Merle threw him to the ground and he wasn't about to give up as they continued to wrestle. But after a few good hits, and receiving some in return, Daryl was pinned. Merle had him straddled with his wrists pinned to his chest, applying enough pressure with the weight of his body to where Daryl couldn't pull his hands free, his breath feeling as though it were caught in his throat.

"You gonna chill the fuck out now or what?" Merle stared down at him.

Daryl gritted his teeth and glared back at him. He tried to pull his arms out once again but Merle pushed down with even more force, making it slightly difficult to breathe. "Fuck you!"

Merle chucked as he let up and got back to his feet. He wiped his arm under his nose and came back with blood, grinning. "Not too bad, Darlina. Kind of like the old days. 'Cept yer still a pussy."

Daryl rolled his eyes as he rolled over off of his back and got to his feet. He bit his tongue and tried to ignore Merle. He knew it wouldn't do him any good to have another outburst. It wouldn't change anything and he'd just be back on the ground within seconds. It was humiliating enough that he could never take Merle on and actually come out on top.

"So what happened?" Daryl tried for a conversation, curious to hear it from his brother's prospective. He walked back over to his knife and picked it up, sliding it back into the sheath.

"The world went to shit. People eatin' people," Merle replied.

"No shit. I mean what happened to you? Lily?" Daryl leaned his back against his truck and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Merle shrugged, "Ain't much to tell. One of them things bit her and she turned into one of 'em. S'how I knew yer girl was screwed." When Daryl locked his glare on him, he muttered under his breath, "Sorry, bro…"

Merle had been with Lily for probably close to four years. Daryl never knew whether it could really be considered a relationship or not though. All they ever did was sleep and get high together. Merle wasn't emotionally attached to the woman by no means. Merle wasn't the relationship type. Though Daryl didn't think he was either and he found Elena…

Daryl rubbed his face and sighed, "What the hell are we even doin'?"

"Yer guess is as good as mine. Survivin'. Keepin' the fuck away from them drooling cannibals."

"That doesn't explain a damn thing…" Daryl muttered.

There was a rustle in the leaves just over by the tree line of the woods that suddenly grabbed Daryl's attention. It must have grabbed Merle's too because his eyes were searching as well. Daryl took a few steps forward, prepared to use his knife with his hand on the handle. They couldn't see anything that far out in the dark.

A figure finally emerged through the trees and shadows, revealing a tall man with black hair. He put his hands in the air to show that he was unarmed as he kept walking closer.

"Heard voices while I was over this way. Thought I'd come check it out," the man spoke.

"Yeah, well ain't neither of us said anything 'bout wantin' company," Merle retorted.

"Alright, that's fine. I get it, man. I do. But as I was saying, I heard you two talking." The man was now but a few feet away from them. Daryl's eyes caught the gun he had holstered at his side. "The name's Shane. Got a camp set up by the quarry just here through this trees 'bout half a mile back."

"Is that an invitation?" Merle raised an eyebrow. "We throwin' a fiesta for the end of the world?"

"I just thought I'd come over and offer. If you're gonna stand there and be a prick about it—"

"Shane, right?" Daryl cut him off. "Is it just you or are there others?"

"There are others. We've all come together since the shit hit the fan." Shane shifted his weight onto his right foot, slightly leaned back with his hands on his hips taking the two brothers in. "If you're interested, there's a trail you can drive down to get back there. So far we've just been sticking with numbers. Figure the more of us there are, the better. We're better protected that way."

"Y'all packing heat or you just carry that for shits and grins?" Daryl nodded his head at the gun on his waist. He must have amused Shane because he let out a small laugh accompanied by a grin.

"We got a couple guns, if that's what you're asking. Not going to shoot either of you. Unless you give me a reason to," Shane raised an eyebrow, questioning.

"Well, ya can just go fuck yourself." Merle took a step forward but Daryl threw his arm out and slapped his hand on his chest to push him back.

"We're interested," Daryl spoke over Merle's grumbles. "You said there's a path we can drive down?"

"That offer's only gonna stand if you can manage to keep him from lashing out. I don't need my people having to fear for their lives over a damn redneck."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at that comment, "It's under control."

Shane explained how to reach the path not too far from where they were, explained that it was basically a straight shot until their campsite came into focus. And just before he took off back into the woods, he stopped.

"You know, I didn't catch your names."

"Daryl. This here's Merle," Daryl jabbed his thumb in Merle's direction.

Shane nodded and took off after that.

"I can't believe ya want ta go mixin' with these ignorant ass people. You got something up yer sleeve I don't know about?" Merle started to head for the driver's side.

"No, and you ain't driving. My truck, my rules." Daryl beat him to the driver's side, pulling the door open.

Merle just shook his head, "Whatever, baby brother…"

But as the truck rumbled to life with a turn of the ignition, Daryl gave it some thought. Maybe he did have something up his sleeve. As soon as Shane had mentioned there being others, it sounded like these people didn't know each other prior to everything that happened. These people must have crossed each others' paths searching for help. Daryl couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he could see some familiar faces—particularly Leah, Skyler, Matt, and Hannah. Surely Matt could have kept them safe.

Just as Shane had said, it was a straight shot there. Once they were on the path the little campsite seemed to pop up out of nowhere. It was a clever place really because it wasn't noticeable from the main road.

As Daryl parked the truck and killed the engine, he could see quite a handful of people crowded around a low burning campfire. He couldn't make out distinct facial structures or anything of the sort from this distance. He glanced over at Merle as he gave him a shrug in return.

"Was yer call..." Merle muttered, getting out of the truck and slamming the door.

Daryl sighed. Maybe it wasn't too great of a call bringing Merle along but he had no choice. He'd just have to try and keep him quiet before he could stir up trouble. As angry as he still was with him, he wished he could have just ditched his ass. But he was his brother; he couldn't do that. The one good thing about this place was that it would be more than just him and Merle. He wouldn't have to be trapped with Merle with others around. It could be like a breath of fresh air… Assuming these people didn't drive him crazy.

Daryl jumped out of the truck and shut the door behind him, taking his time to walk over and join the group. He would at least explain their story if nothing else, seeing as Merle was staking out a place not too far from the truck to set up camp.

"Who are you?" one of the women asked as he neared them. He noticed she had long brunette hair with a young boy hugged to her side.

"Shane sent us. Name's Daryl. And my brother, Merle…" Daryl kept it short.

"We wondered what was taking so long. He's usually back by now." An older man spoke now, an old fisherman's hat perched on top of his gray head. He had two younger blonde women beside him who were staring intently back at Daryl. Possibly daughters of his? Or granddaughters.

"Sit down and take a load off. We're all about to hit the bed here shortly." Now it was a black female speaking to him. She smiled up at him from where she was seated next to what looked to be a family of four; a husband and wife with two kids.

Daryl only nodded. He didn't see any familiar faces and truth be told, he wasn't really in the mood for chatting. The only thing he really wanted to do was pass out so he could try to forget the events of the day.

"I'm jus' gonna join my brother. We'll keep outta yer way," Daryl muttered before walking back towards Merle. He noticed Merle was sitting with his back against a tree, looking none too thrilled or impressed.

"They welcome ya with open arms? Passin' out hugs an' shit?" Merle scoffed.

"Wasn't in no mood to talk to 'em. Kind of the same for you," Daryl shot back at him.

It was a few minutes later when Shane had returned, emerging from the woods once again. Shane immediately noticed that he and Merle made it, glancing over it their direction before he joined the group around the fire. Daryl watched as he walked up behind the brunette and squeezed her shoulders in a comforting gesture. _Great, everyone has a fucking family with kids._

"Hey, Daryl," Shane called out to him unexpectedly. He made his way over towards the brothers. "We got a spare tent if you need it. Found 'em when we went through some places on the way here."

"If yer offerin', we'll take it," Merle spoke up, getting back to his feet.

Shane nodded, "Yeah. Just come on over here and I'll help ya get it set up."

Merle stalked off with Shane, running his mouth about something or another that got a fake laugh from Shane every now and then. Daryl just stayed back. He figured he'd let Merle carry on for now and for all he was concerned, Merle could pitch the tent.

Daryl opened the passenger side door to his truck and hopped up in the cab. He left the door open to allow a bit of a breeze to blow through while he reached down and grabbed the bag he had thrown in there earlier. And it wasn't until he started to dig through it that the harsh reality of it all really hit him. Elena's stuff was mixed in with his, a few pieces of clothing at the most. Merle had purposely knocked him unconscious so he didn't have to comply. But had he just left her there? Had Merle really just left her there to die?...

Daryl sorted through everything that was in the bag, tossing Elena's stuff to the side. He stopped when he heard a small clink of something falling and hitting against his crossbow at his feet. He bent over and searched through the dark until he felt his hands run along something smooth. He could immediately tell that it was a necklace before he brought it closer to his face to examine it.

It was one of Elena's favorite necklaces that she never went anywhere without. She must have thrown it in when Daryl wasn't looking. It was a small silver heart with little encrusted diamonds on it and it had small gold wings with a golden halo. If he remembered correctly, it was the necklace her mother had given her before she died. Elena had told him that it was her sign to never give up hope, like a heart of an angel with the wings and halo. And she had never given up hope. After everything that happened to her, she had stayed strong for her and Leah.

Merle's voice broke Daryl from his thought and memories as he quickly jumped back out of the cab and shut the door. He pocketed the necklace and figured he would help Merle after all. It took a little while to get the tent up, Merle being a bit more cooperative than usual. And by the time they got it set up properly, Daryl noticed that the others must have gone to sleep in their own tents, the fire still smoldering.

"You can have the tent. Imma just sleep in my truck." Daryl bit at the inside of his mouth, hoping Merle could just leave it at that.

"Fine by me. I'm goin' ta bed," Merle grumbled. And without another word, Merle did just that. He crawled into the tent and zipped it back up.

Daryl had some business that he wanted to take care of without Merle's knowledge, and with everyone asleep it gave him the perfect opportunity. He waited a little while to ensure Merle was in fact out cold before he headed back to his truck and sifted through everything again. The bag was empty now as its contents were strewn across the cab and he stuffed all of Elena's belongings into it. He took one last glance around the camp to make dead sure no one was up and moving before he walked over to what was left of the fire, bag in hand.

Daryl kicked at the fire a bit with his boot to stir it up, getting a small ember in response. When he was satisfied that it wasn't going to go out, he grabbed the first thing from the bag and tossed it in. He watched as the flames engulfed the shirt in no time as he tossed in another. He kept at it until there was nothing left—though there wasn't much in the first place. He sat there and just watched it all burn. There was no sense in keeping any of it. And it would be a cold day in Hell if he just gave them to someone else to wear. Remembering the necklace, he pulled it from his pocket. He looked it over again, running his thumb over the small gold wings. He had to keep hope now. Hope that maybe Leah was still alive out there.

Once everything had burned beyond recognition, hardly anything left, Daryl kicked a little bit of dirt onto it. The fire would eventually die out and no one had to know. As he got back to his feet, he threw the empty bag over his shoulder and pocketed the necklace once more. He wasn't so sure he'd actually get any sleep but it was worth a shot. And he headed back to his truck with plenty of questions on his mind.

* * *

**These last three have been pretty long, my apologies! They'll most likely be shorter from here out! **


	4. There's No I In Team

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** My apologies for the wait. Fair warning: Merle Dixon's mouth. I think that's all that needs to be said.

* * *

_**There's No "I" in "Team".**_

Daryl awoke to the ceiling of his truck cab and the sound of carrying voices. The fact that he had fallen asleep in his truck already wasn't a good sign—everything he thought he had dreamt had really happened after all.

He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Whatever amount of sleep he got wasn't nearly enough. However, he tossed it aside and pushed it down. He had some questions that he wanted answers to and now that it was a brand new day with the sun shining overhead, he could maybe get just that.

Daryl managed to crawl out of his truck and shut the door behind him. He noticed the Merle must still be asleep since the tent looked untouched since night. That was fine with him. He figured if he was awake, he would have already heard him by now. Everyone else seemed to be awake and chatting amongst themselves. There were more people than Daryl realized.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." One of the young blondes bounced past him with a smile plastered on her face. She had to be at least in her twenties.

Daryl grunted in response. The realization hit him that he didn't know any of these people and he probably looked ridiculous standing there gawking at everyone. He was searching for Shane but was having no such luck in the matter.

"Guess you haven't been formally acquainted with everyone yet, huh?" A gray haired woman approached him. Her voice was quiet and soft, and she folded her arms in front of her chest. Daryl noticed a few bruises on her arms and could immediately tell they weren't any accident. They were from someone grabbing her forcefully.

"Nah, you're all a bunch a strangers to me," Daryl admitted.

The woman forced a small smile, "Well for starters, I'm Carol. And I believe you said your name was Daryl?"

Daryl nodded as she continued to point out everyone around the camp. There was Dale and Jim working on the RV. Then Andrea and Amy, the two blondes who were sisters—who by the way had no relation to Dale after all. The Asian boy, Glenn. T-Dog and Jacqui. The brunette woman's name was Lori, and her son Carl. Then there was the Morales family, which Daryl couldn't remember any of their names if he wanted to.

"My husband, Ed… And my daughter, Sophia," Carol finished. "I think that about covers it."

Her husband. She had an abusive husband; that's what the bruises were from. And the little girl who was playing with Carl had to have been her daughter. And fuck, if that all didn't remind him of Elena and Leah.

"I'm actually looking for Shane. Got a few questions for 'im." Daryl let his voice trail off as he turned his back to Carol and walked away. He couldn't face her right now. Not with those familiar circumstances.

And lucky for him, Shane appeared from out of one of the tents.

"You say something?" Shane approached him.

"Yeah, got some questions. What do you know about all of this?" Daryl didn't bother waiting to just jump right into it.

"What do I know about all of this…" Shane repeated reflexively, placing his hands on his hips. "I know it's not safe."

_No shit, Sherlock. _Daryl crossed his arms and bit his tongue, "What about Atlanta? News said something about headin' there?"

Shane dropped his gaze, shaking his head. "Atlanta's not safe. There's so refugee center, nothing. They dropped napalm on the streets. It's all gone."

Daryl shifted his stance just as heavy footsteps came up from behind him.

"Why the fuck would they drop napalm?" Merle joined in.

"Hey, you watch your mouth. There are children here," Lori narrowed her eyes at Merle as she walked by with a handful of what appeared to be dirty clothes.

Merle glanced over at Daryl. He could tell he wanted to say something back to that statement. Daryl shook his head to give him the nonverbal clue to just bite his tongue. Then Merle switched his gaze back to Shane.

Shane just shrugged. "Beats me, man. Apparently they thought rounding everyone up and torching them would solve the problem."

Merle chuckled, "Nice little barbeque, huh? Got anything about them cannibals?"

"You mean the dead people walking around?" Glenn popped in on the conversation now. When the three men looked over at him, he nervously stared down at his feet and adjusted the baseball cap on his head.

"Yeah, ye know something 'bout 'em?" Merle continued.

"We've been calling them walkers. You know, because they just keep walking. That's all they do," Glenn stammered.

"And tear into people's flesh," Daryl muttered.

"Well, I'll be damned. The chink's got a cute lil' nickname for 'em," Merle grinned.

Daryl wanted to just walk away at that point, maybe just dig a damn hole and bury himself. It's the first day and Merle's already shooting out names, clearly letting everyone know he's a white supremacist.

"Did you not hear a word I said?" Lori came back. She had her hands perched on her small hips, glaring back at Merle.

"Naw, I heard ya. Don' take too _fuckin'_ kindly to bitches who try an' tell me what ta do." Merle remarked.

"Excuse me?" Lori tilted her head to the side as if to lean one ear forward.

"Are we gonna have a problem here?" Shane interrupted, stepping between Lori and Merle.

"Will if ya don't keep that bitch on a leash. Ol' Merle ain't afraid of a little pussy." A smirk slowly crept across Merle's face as he winked at Lori.

"Oh—That's nice. That's real nice," Lori shoved Shane aside. "You know, Shane didn't have to offer you staying with us. He did it because that's the type of man he is—kind, caring, and just overall concerned for anyone in need of help."

"Ain't no one here in need of help."

Lori forced a laugh as Shane stepped back in front of her. Glenn slowly backed up and left to join Andrea and Amy. Now Shane was shooting a look between Merle and Daryl.

"I suggest you take a walk," Shane stared hard at Merle.

"An' I say you can jus' go fuck yerself," Merle spat.

"Merle…" Daryl shot him a sideways glance, his voice full of warning. Merle must have caught it too because he raised an eyebrow at him.

"The fuck's yer problem?" Merle snorted.

"Why don't you just head back to the tent?" Daryl suggested.

"You see something wrong here?" Merle held his arms up at his sides.

Daryl was doing everything in his power to not want to just flat out punch him. He chewed on the inside of his mouth with his eyes narrowed at his brother. He could tell from the moment he stepped foot over here that he was high. His eyes were glazed over and his attitude was but a simple confirmation. He knew he had to get Merle to back down and however he planned on going about it, he had to do it carefully. When Merle was high, he was angry. He wasn't quite himself. And Daryl had learned that the hard way years ago.

"Just c'mon," Daryl headed back towards their little makeshift campsite. He didn't look back to see if Merle was following. He knew if he did it would just send Merle over the edge that much more. He had to just play it cool and assume Merle would follow in step.

Just as he stopped by their tent, he could hear Merle's footsteps following. He threw his head up and shot another look at him, "What the fuck, Merle?"

"Man up, ya little pussy. Ain't gon' let nobody talk to Merle like that. That includes you, so ya best change yer attitude an' kick off them damn high heels."

Daryl stepped up and got in his brother's face. He half expected Merle to hit him for crossing the boundary line, invading his personal space. Daryl flicked his nose, "You're high as fuck. What the hell were you even thinkin'?"

"I was thinkin' I don't rightly give a damn. Now you best keep yer mouth shut, boy. One more peep outta ye 'bout these niggers an' democrats an' I won't take too kindly to ya next time." Merle snorted as he cracked his knuckles, brushing past Daryl to walk towards the tent.

Daryl could only sigh as he trudged over to the tree nearby and sat with his back propped up against it. He figured he might as well stay put and make sure Merle did as well. He'd just have to be careful with what he said and did around him until he came off his high. Wasn't that about right—Merle being high off his ass at a time like this. But it wasn't anything new.

He rubbed at his eyes as he looked over towards the main camp. He could see that Lori was staring over in his general direction, anything but happy. She had a slight scowl on her face as she busied herself around the camp and interacting with the others, mostly Shane. He could feel everyone's eyes on him after a while and he could sense the tension. But they were shooting glares at _him_. And that pissed him off. It appeared that once again, he was nothing but Merle's shadow—affiliated by relation. And wasn't that just peachy keen. If these people were just going to assume, Daryl would give them something to glare at him about.

Daryl didn't bother with even trying to get up and move around until Merle's snoring was evident from inside the tent. He knew he would be out for at least a couple hours or more, giving him some time to just kind of relax a bit and try to think some things through. He agreed with Shane that there was definitely safety in numbers. He figured it would be best to stick with the group at least until he found his bearings. There was no way he could manage it if it were just himself and Merle. He couldn't keep looking after Merle and keep an eye out for… walkers. Besides, this place was as good as any to hole up.

Finally coming to the conclusion they weren't going anywhere anytime real soon, Daryl decided to collect some wood for their own fire. He knew after today's events that the others would want nothing to do with either of them, and that most likely included them all sitting around a single campfire at night. Daryl couldn't picture it anyway. It was more of a joke.

"What do you want?" Daryl snapped at the sound of footsteps nearby. He turned to see that old man with the stupid hat on his head. Dale, that was his name.

Dale put his hands up in front of his chest in an innocent notion, "Now I don't mean to pry but I saw you last night. You were throwing something in the fire?"

Daryl froze and he could have sworn he felt his face grow warm with slight embarrassment and anger. How the hell did he see him? It was dark and everyone was asleep.

He tried to shrug it off, "Yeah, so?"

"I'm just concerned, that's all. If there's anything you'd like to share—"

"Ain't none of your concern, old man. Mind your own damn business," Daryl spat, taking a step forward as he narrowed his eyes. The last thing he needed was for Dale to go running his mouth about some speculation he fabricated in his mind. Nobody needed to know about his personal life. And he sure as hell didn't want any pity. It was his own damn fault it all happened in the first place.

"Okay, that's fair. I just wanted to make an offer. If you ever want to talk about it—"

"I don't. Now leave me be," Daryl cut him off again. He spit to the side and continued on with collecting more wood for a fire. After he picked up a few twigs and branches, he casually threw a glance over his shoulder and realized Dale had left.

He gave it some thought, about Dale. Maybe he wouldn't run his mouth. He seemed rather calm trying to talk to him, even with Daryl jumping down his throat. Perhaps he was a decent man. They always say that wisdom comes with age, and Dale certainly had quite a few years on him. He'd keep that in mind. If Dale did keep this between them, he could respect that.

* * *

_It had been about four months now since Daryl had met Elena, two months since he met her daughter, Leah. It didn't seem like a whole lot of time but he had learned quite a bit about both of them in just that time frame. _

_He knew Elena was insecure, much like himself. She claimed to be shy and awkward but he didn't really see it. He learned more about her past, about Michael. How she always had the dream to be an aspiring artist. She loved to draw, and she was quite good at it. She had explained to him that's why she chose to be a teacher—an art teacher, so that she could still keep some of the dream. She was close to her sister, Skyler. She had specifically stated that 'not only were they sisters, they were best friends'. And she had explained more of what happened between her and Michael, how he had abused her and thrown her around like she was nothing. Though hearing that, Daryl clenched his fist. _

_Leah was a little different. She was able to grow up living an innocent life. She didn't have any memories of Michael other than a couple pictures that Elena had kept put away. Leah never asked much about her father. Elena told Daryl she figured it was because she thought it would hurt her feelings. Elena told him that she felt guilty for raising Leah without a father—that she should have tried to work things out with Michael. But again, Daryl had to clench his fists. He let her know that she made the best decision possible getting away from him and that men like that don't change. He knew that first hand. _

"_She's had a long day. She's completely tuckered out." Elena smiled at her daughter's form on the couch sprawled out in a deep slumber. _

_Daryl yawned, "I think I'm 'bout ready to join her. You're just borin' me to death over here."_

_Elena smacked him playfully in the arm, smiling._

_Daryl turned the TV off and walked over to Leah. He carefully managed to scoop her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to her room, cradled against his chest. He could feel her hand grip onto his shirt just before he reached her room, making him stop and peer down at her face. She was still sound asleep. He realized he hadn't thought this through entirely seeing as he couldn't pull the blankets back holding her. Elena stepped into the room just then, apparently reading his mind. She fixed the blankets so that he could lay her down, pulling the blankets back up over her. Elena had her arms folded in front of her chest with a smile on her face._

"_You'd make a great dad," Elena remarked._

_They stepped out of Leah's room as Daryl pulled the door shut to a crack. "What?—" _

"_If you would have had kids, you would have made a great dad." Elena repeated. _

"_You don't know that," Daryl mumbled as he led the way downstairs. He stopped by her front door, expecting to leave soon so that she could get some sleep herself. _

"_Maybe not, but I can tell by the way you are with Leah. You're so gentle, and caring. And you can make her laugh at the silliest things. You should have a little more faith in yourself." Elena stood in front of him, her head slightly tilted up to look him in the face seeing as she was a few inches shorter. _

_Daryl shrugged, at a loss for words. He wasn't quite sure he'd ever be able to explain his feelings on the subject to Elena. He felt like he'd amount to nothing. He could never picture having kids for that reason. He felt like he would have failed miserably, or that he would have turned out to be like his old man. Though he could never picture himself hitting a woman or a child._

"_Hey," Elena's voice snapped him back, her hand on his arm. "I mean it. I really appreciate everything you do. You certainly make life a bit easier and more enjoyable. For Leah and I both."_

"_I don't know what to say?" Daryl admitted finally. Elena forced a smile and leaned up into him, kissing him on the lips. _

"_You don't have to say anything. Just know that you are loved and appreciated." Elena continued, "And you are more than welcome to stay here any time you want. If you don't want to drive home." _

_Daryl nodded, trying to take it all in. The past four months felt like some sort of dream world. Elena was the first person to have ever said something like that to him. He was loved and appreciated? Hell, he barely knew what that even meant. _

"_It's okay. I figured I would give you your space, let you get some sleep. I don't live that far away." Daryl stared down at her, his eyes locking onto hers. He almost thought he could detect a little bit of sadness in her eyes. Was it something he said? _

"_Alright," She replied. "Just be safe and I'll… talk to you tomorrow?"_

"_Yeah, tomorrow." Daryl nodded. Elena leaned up against him once more, gripping the collar of his shirt as she kissed him on the lips. He carefully maneuvered his hands to her waist and kissed back. _

"_Good night, love."_

* * *

**Honestly, I have a difficult time trying to play out Merle's character. I just feel so wrong and dirty. I don't know how to bring that aggression out and even trying to attempt it, I feel bad for typing it. Ugh. **

**Any who, reviews are lovely! Thank you so much to those of you who are leaving them! I love to hear from you and see what you guys think. Y'all are my inspiration, really. :) **


	5. On My Own

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I put a poll up on my page for those of you who are interested. Just curious what y'all are thinking. And for those of you who read Prison of War, I'm still thinking about possibly making a sequel down the road. Just thought I would throw that out there. I love reviews! You guys make me smile!

* * *

_**On My Own.**_

"So, where are you from?"

Amy had yet again decided to greet Daryl the next morning, following him around asking questions. She was leaning against the hood of his truck as he grabbed his crossbow from the cab and slammed the door shut for good measure. "Around."

His one word response puzzled her for a minute but she glanced down at the crossbow in his hands and seemed to perk up. "That's neat. I've never seen one up close before. You hunt?"

Daryl shot a glare at her but she still wasn't quite catching on. "Used to. Been a while since."

"My dad used to hunt. I kind of always thought it was cruel. But I guess you have to eat…" Amy followed him as he walked towards the group with his crossbow now slung over his back. "Are you going out?"

Daryl stopped and turned on his heels, making Amy stop abruptly and almost smacking into him. "Do you ever shut up?" He finally snapped.

"Geez, you don't have to be so pissy about it," Amy scrunched her face. She let out an exaggerated sigh as she stalked off to Andrea. Daryl noticed his short outburst caught Glenn's attention as he was staring at him.

"What? Got somethin' to say?" Daryl shot at him.

"No, nothing," Glenn shook his head. He seemed like a nervous wreck anytime someone spoke directly to him. Daryl noticed this especially when he or Merle said anything.

Daryl shut everyone else out and sat down on an old log by the main campsite's fire pit. He examined the crossbow, shifting it around in his hands and getting a good look at each individual bolt. It had been quite a few years since he'd used the thing.

There was talk about heading into Atlanta to seek out information if possible and to scavenge supplies. If the world had truly ended, they would have to loot as many places as possible for the necessities to live. And if someone could have passed that memo out to everyone sooner, they would have grabbed more things before fleeing their homes.

Of course Daryl had offered to go. He had nothing better to do and if he kept sitting around like he was, he'd surely go insane. He needed to get up on his feet and do something productive. He needed something to help keep his mind busy.

"Alright. So we got Glenn, T-Dog, Jacqui, Andrea, and Morales. You said you were up for going, Daryl?" Shane adjusted his belt as he propped his foot up on another log.

"Hey, whoa whoa. Let's hold on a minute," Merle came up from behind Daryl. "What exactly we talkin' 'bout?"

"We're going into the city to look for supplies," Andrea replied. "And help, if there is any."

"Well, count me in," Merle volunteered.

"Your brother already offered and I think it's best we keep some man power here at camp," Shane spoke up.

"Daryl? He can stay here. Won't kill him."

Shane shrugged and walked away to leave them all to it. It was obvious he wasn't going to stand by and try to sort things out. He'd just wait until everything fell into place on its own. The others who had volunteered took off and seemed to huddle in discussion.

"What the hell're you doin'?" Daryl got back on his feet and looked to Merle.

"I'm goin' to Atlanta. You can stay here and play nice with everyone. You was always more o' a people person anyways." Merle grinned, "Maybe ye can help with the laundry."

Daryl just completely ignored Merle and walked away from him. He could tell he was still high—he still had that look to him. And he was drawing the last straw with him. If Merle wanted to go so damn bad, then so be it. Daryl would just find something else to do. Maybe he could go out and hunt for a day or so. He could brush up on his skills and it'd keep his mind occupied.

But then Daryl overheard someone raising their voice. He noticed everyone seemed to ignore it and that only made him that much more curious. Then he saw it. Ed had a hold on Carol's arm, yanking her towards him and yelling in her face. He could tell the grip he had on her arm was tight from where he was standing and for whatever reason, he clenched his fists. It wasn't any of his business but if everyone else was just going to completely disregard this situation, he'd do something about it.

"Hey," Daryl approached the two, locking his glare on Ed. He grasped Ed's arm and pulled his grip off of Carol's arm as she backed up out of reach, tears streaming down her face. Daryl noticed Sophia had her head just barely peaking out of their tent watching from the distance with fear in her eyes. That alone was enough to set Daryl off.

"Who the hell are you? Thinkin' you can just come on over here and get in my business," Ed began, slightly giving Daryl a shove. "That's my wife. I'll do what I damn please."

"You won't be layin' a hand on her if you know what's good for ya," Daryl took a step forward to get in his face. "She's your _wife_, not a piece of property. You shouldn't be treatin' her like that and your daughter doesn't need this shit in her life."

"Daryl, it's okay… Just let it go." Carol's voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"No, it's not right," Daryl shot back at Carol. He turned back to Ed, "You got a problem with something, then be a man about it. I don't wanna see you layin' another hand on her or Sophia. Got it?"

Ed took a step forward now, completely closing in any gap that existed before and glared back at him. He took a drag of the lit cigarette in his hand and blew the smoke into Daryl's face with a grin. "I ain't gotta listen to your punk ass. Looks like you got enough problems of your own. Why don't ya take care of that and mind your own business?"

Daryl drew his fist back but before he could follow through with the punch, he felt a grip on his arm holding him back. He turned to see Shane had a hold of his right arm as he tried to shake him off. Being held back made him feel threatened and he was tempted to lash out and hit Shane with his left fist. He didn't realize he was following through with that until he felt someone else grab his other arm and prevented him from hitting Shane.

"You need to calm down, man. Everything's under control. No need to start throwing punches," Shane reaffirmed him, keeping his grip on his right arm.

"Just let it blow over," T-Dog's voice came from his other side. But Daryl was pissed. If there was something he hated, it was being held back or held down. He felt threatened when he didn't have control of his arms and it only made him that much angrier.

"Let me go!" Daryl tried to shake them, pulling his arms back as hard as he could. He struggled for a moment before Shane and T-Dog let go of him at the same time, making him stumble back. Daryl made sure to shoot them a look of hate before he stormed off back towards where his and Merle's tent was set up. He definitely needed to get away from these people, sooner rather than later.

The few who were planning on going into Atlanta were getting set up now, preparing to leave. Daryl almost had the urge to talk Merle out of going so that he could go but he knew it'd be a lost cause. It wouldn't even be worth trying.

Daryl walked a little ways into the woods with his crossbow in hand. He figured it nothing else he'd take a short walk. It didn't take long for the feel of the woods to come back to him. It was the one place he felt at home when he was younger. He practically lived outdoors back in the day.

It was only a couple minutes later until Daryl could hear heavy footsteps coming up behind him. He knew it was Merle before he even turned around to face him. And when he did turn to face him, he immediately knew it wasn't going to be good. Merle looked _pissed_.

"Merle—" Daryl lowered the crossbow to his side, watching his brother's every move as he even took a step back before Merle stopped just in front of him. Daryl could still see the camp from where he stood so he wasn't too far away.

Merle grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him closer, "What'd ye do with it?"

"Do with what?" Daryl leaned back, unsure of what to do. Normally, Merle didn't scare him. But there was something in his eyes this time that just screamed at him. He just froze up. He didn't even bother trying to shove his grip off of him.

"Ye know damn well what!" Merle raised his voice.

It clicked then. Merle was apparently so fucking trashed that he'd lost his drugs. Whatever he was even on anymore was beyond Daryl. He used to try and make him quit, used to take them from him. But nothing ever seemed to work and he gave up on that years ago as well.

"I didn't touch your damn drugs," Daryl replied, keeping his voice rather calm. But that wasn't good enough because Merle threw an uppercut to his face which caused him to stumble back and drop his crossbow. _Here we go…_

Daryl regained his posture just as Merle was already coming at him again. Daryl was able to grab Merle's fist with the next punch that he threw but Merle was already a step ahead of him, slamming his knee into his stomach. Daryl tried backing up as he let go of Merle's fist, watching him carefully. Merle threw a punch with his left fist, Daryl managing to just barely avoid it, then getting slammed by Merle's right fist. The second blow to the head screwed with his vision for a moment until everything cleared up.

It was evident that Merle wasn't going to back down until he was satisfied and Daryl knew the only chance he truly stood was if he could get away from him and keep his distance. But he really didn't even have that luck on his side because just as he threw a punch back in return, nailing Merle in the face, Merle just came back with a punch to his ribs. Daryl slightly doubled over as Merle grabbed him by his shirt and threw him to the ground, hard. He was lucky that he was just able to catch himself from face planting it.

Daryl scrambled to try and get back to his feet, knowing damn well Merle would beat the living shit out of him if he was cornered on the ground. But just as he was about to his feet, Merle kicked him straight in the side nailing him directly in the ribs. The force of the kick knocked the wind out of him as he was sent over onto his back. The pain shot through his side as he could see Merle's boot coming at him again. He managed to roll to the side and just barely avoided it. He landed on his back again before Merle was hovering him, grabbing him just under the chin and forcing him to look back at him.

"You mess with my stuff again an' see what happens, boy." Merle's voice was low as he spoke and he threw one last punch to his face before Daryl could hear his footsteps fade in the distance.

Daryl sighed in relief as he just stayed there on his back. He lifted his shirt just enough to examine his side and ran his fingers over the red outline from Merle's boot to check for anything broken. He couldn't feel anything out of place, but damn did it hurt. He knew his lip was split as he could feel it and the little bit of blood that accompanied it. He resorted to taking short shallow breaths for a moment before he forced himself back up on his feet slightly swaying.

He drug his feet back to where he dropped his crossbow and held his side as he bent down to pick it up, gritting his teeth from the shooting pain. He was glad it didn't end any worse. If Merle would have landed another kick or two with the same force behind it to his side, he knew that would have broken a few ribs with no problem. So yeah, he was lucky.

"Are you okay?—"

Daryl was thrown off by the sound of a female voice talking to him as he glanced over and spotted Carol not too far. Shit, how long had she been there? _That's just great_.

"I'm fine," Daryl muttered. It was all he could muster up at the time. He couldn't even sound threatening, which made him feel downright pathetic.

"I just wanted to come thank you… For talking to Ed," Carol paused. Her eyes were glued to Daryl, her gaze switching back and forth from his face to his hand holding his side. "Are you sure you don't want—"

"I'm _fine_," Daryl repeated, raising his voice. He took his hand back, wiped the blood from his lip, and stood up completely straight proving to her and himself that he was fine before he headed back towards camp. Carol must have finally gotten the message because she went back to camp as well, headed back for her tent.

By the time Daryl had walked back through the trees and reached his and Merle's spot, he felt even more relieved. Merle was gone. And when he glanced over at the others, he noticed the ones who had volunteered were gone as well. They must have left for Atlanta. _Halle-fucking-lujah._

Daryl crawled into the tent with his crossbow still in his hands and hit the ground, exhausted. His body ached and his side constantly throbbed, feeling worse with each breath he took. He liked to just stick to taking as short and shallow of breaths as possible but he knew he couldn't keep doing that. He'd had rib injuries before and he was already well aware of the risk of getting pneumonia if he didn't take a deep breath every now and then to allow his lungs to fully expand.

Daryl couldn't help but cuss Merle out in his head. Words couldn't even begin to touch the anger he felt towards him in that moment. He left Elena to die; he didn't bother trying to get Leah. Merle was always a fucking loose cannon, especially with the drugs. Daryl had been the one to take care of _him_ growing up. Anytime Merle was trashed, Daryl was there to help him out. Whenever Merle had come home from another fight, Daryl was there to help him out. And this was the thanks he got in return every fucking time. Merle was hardly ever there for him, so why did he feel the need to support him? As far as Daryl was concerned, Merle could just rot in Atlanta with the walkers. He'd most likely do something stupid anyway, possibly even get himself killed out of pure stupidity.

No, he didn't want Merle dead. He would never wish that. Merle was his brother after all. That's what it came down to in the end. He was family. Merle was all he had left. Merle would get better. Daryl had gotten him to that point before. He'd eventually run out of whatever he was on and after the crash, he would get better. That's all there is to it.

* * *

_Daryl had parked his truck along the side street that faced the school. He was leaning against the passenger side door waiting until he could spot Leah among all the chaos of the kids getting out. It was a surprise, really. Far as Leah was concerned, her mom was picking her up. And Leah certainly was surprised._

_"Daryl!" Her face lit up when she saw him across the street. She ran over and threw her arms around him in a hug. "What are you doing here?" _

_"Picking you up from school. What's it look like?" Daryl ruffled her hair. He opened the door and she hopped in closing the door behind her. Daryl passed in front of the truck and hopped in on the driver's side. He glanced over at Leah and noticed she was still grinning. "What?"_

_"Nothing." Leah put her seatbelt on and focused on the windshield. Daryl could tell she was fibbing but he didn't say anything. A grin had to be a good thing, so if that was the case, he wasn't too worried about it. He wouldn't pry. "Where's mom?"_

_"She had a meeting, had to stay after. She called to let me know so I could come get ya." Daryl explained as he turned the key in the ignition. _

_"Oh... Well, I'm glad she called you. I hate riding the bus. And being with you is 110 times better."_

_Daryl laughed, "You don't say?" He pulled the truck out onto the road and started to drive. It made him a little nervous with all of the kids running around. Some parents were obviously careless since they weren't paying any attention. Whose idea was it to put K through eighth grade in one school anyways? "Did you have a good day?"_

_"Mhmm," Leah nodded her head for emphasis. "I got a 100 on my spelling test." _

_"Really now?" Daryl glanced over at her then back to the road. "That's great. Before ya know it, you'll be teaching me how to spell." _

_Leah laughed, "Yeah, right. Because you don't already know how to spell everything." Daryl shrugged. "How was your day?" _

_"Can't complain. Got off work this morning at six. Got some sleep. Went over to Merle's to help him with his bike." Daryl paused. "Now I'm with you." He reached over and poked her arm, making her smile._

_"You don't talk about him much," Leah stated. _

_"Who? Merle?" Daryl raised an eyebrow. "S'not much to talk about." _

_Leah didn't say anymore about the topic. Usually she was beyond curious and wanted to know everything there was, pestering him until he finally caved. Which she could always get him to cave. In all reality, she had him wrapped around her finger. _

_It was quiet for a couple minutes, the radio humming in the background. Leah stared out the window with her book bag down at her feet. And for a moment, Daryl thought about what it would be like to have his own kid. _

_"Mom said that you're like our angel."_

_Daryl slowed down for a red light and blinked a few times before looking over at Leah. "What?" _

_"She saw your vest. The one you're wearing right now. She said you're like our angel. With the wings and stuff." Leah explained. _

_Daryl wasn't sure what to say to that. Leah was good at throwing him off. He wasn't even sure what to think. He was far from an angel. He was fairly certain there was already a spot reserved in Hell for him. And then he found himself taking a walk down memory lane. It was the only thing he could think at the moment._

_"It was a present from my Me-Maw. She had actually gotten Merle the same one, 'cept she made an adjustment on mine. She sewed the wings on herself. Told me I was an angel compared to Merle..." Daryl laughed now that he remembered. Compared to Merle, he __was__ an angel. He never saw the walls of a prison, never touched any drugs in his life. He wasn't that big of a drinker. And he had only picked up smoking for a short while but dropped it soon after. He just figured he could use the money for other things that were of more concern. Maybe that was another reason he found himself chewing on his thumb and various things from time to time. He had more of an oral fixation than he realized from smoking. _

_"Then you must be an angel," Leah poked him back. "Mom said grandmas are never wrong." _

_Daryl reached over and ruffled her hair again receiving a giggle in response._

* * *

**And end with a cute little flashback to lighten up the chapter. :)**

**Just as a fair warning, I'm dreading the next couple chapters or so. I already feel like they're going to really drag on and I don't want that. So please don't give up on this story yet for those of you who are reading! :/ If I could technically skip them, I would. Oops? Ha. **


	6. Call It Karma

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I just want to bring to everyone's attention that this is not going to be a Caryl story. I have quite a few ideas for this, it's just a matter of getting there! I'm getting impatient myself, ha! But I'm trying to keep it interesting without skipping around too much in the meantime. OCs will come eventually, I promise! Hopefully sooner rather than later!

* * *

_**Call It Karma.**_

Daryl hadn't realized it at the time, but he must have fallen asleep after he crashed in the tent. He had only stirred once he heard Carol's voice, gently calling out to him.

"What'd ya want?" Daryl grumbled loud enough for her to hear from where he lay.

"Why don't you come get something to eat? Andrea and Amy caught some fish earlier and they fried them up for everyone."

Daryl sighed. He _was_ hungry, he'd give her that. But he didn't really want to move. His body not only ached but now it was stiff from laying still all that time, however long he had been asleep. He forced himself to roll over and get to his feet before slowly exiting the tent to come face to face with Carol. She looked concerned as her eyes searched him from head to toe making him feel rather uncomfortable.

"I'm fine," Daryl shot at her. "And don't you be sayin' a word 'bout any of that."

"…Okay" Carol nodded. She pulled her thin sweater tighter around her frame before she turned on her heels and headed back towards the campfire. It was a bit darker out now as evening had dawned on them. The fire seemed to glow, illuminating everyone's face that sat near it.

Daryl trudged over towards the group as everyone took a turn glancing over at him. When he looked over at them in return, he noticed they broke their stare and carried on with whatever they were doing previously. It was like they had fallen silent at the sight of him, like he was some damn murderer on the run. But shortly after he could hear the forks clinging against their plates as they continued to eat.

Daryl went ahead a fixed himself a small plate of the fish with a meager helping of whatever canned beans they had opened. Though he was hunger, it didn't sound too appetizing. He debated going back to his tent now that Merle was gone and he could just enjoy the peace of it all. But he decided he'd just stake out a place around the fire among the others. Okay, part of it was because he really didn't want to keep making trips back and forth. Though he wasn't sure why that would matter because he already had his plans brewing in his head for the next day or two.

"Nice of you to join us," Dale commented.

"Yeah, don't get used to it…" Daryl muttered. He stabbed his fork into a piece of fish and looked it over before eating it. It wasn't too bad actually.

The awkward silence was slowly filled by low chatter among everyone as they seemed to section off into their own little cliques. Lori refused to give Daryl an eye contact as she stayed focused on Shane at her side. Carl sat opposite of Shane next to his mom as he managed a glance at Daryl from across the fire. The kid smiled at him with the corner of his mouth just barely raised. Whatever that mischievous grin was supposed to mean was beyond Daryl.

Carol and Sophia were with the group tonight, leaving Ed by himself at their little tent site much like he and Merle had set up. Apparently Ed didn't want to be too close to the group either. Daryl could picture him and Merle getting along quite well. They were both of the same obnoxious nature—and that was putting it lightly. Regardless, it was nice to see Sophia and Carol get away from him for a while.

"So do you have any big plans? I mean, are you going to go hunting?" Amy spoke up now as she set her empty plate on the ground in front of her. Her words apparently grabbed everyone's attention as their eyes were then all trained on Daryl, waiting for a response.

"Actually, yeah. Was plannin' on headin' out tomorrow morning for a couple days or so. See what I can find and bring back." _And try to keep myself sane._

"You think that's such a good idea?" Carol questioned.

Daryl immediately shot a glare at her. If she was going to open her mouth, there would be hell to pay. These people didn't need to know anything about Merle or himself, or where their relationship stood. As far as anyone was concerned, they're brothers and that's that. It wasn't anybody's business that Merle went off the deep end again. Except things may not go so smoothly for the members of the group who were currently stuck with him. It wouldn't take long to figure out.

"Not worried about a few _walkers_." Daryl finally managed a response.

"She's got a point, man. You don't know what's out there. Could run across anything," Shane warned.

"Ain't nothing out there besides a few walkers at best and hopefully a damn deer or two." Daryl glanced down at his now empty plate. He was apparently more hungry than he had originally thought, having already scarf what little bit he had down. "Bring some real food back if I can find one."

Amy shuddered at his words, obviously wrapped up in thinking about Bambi. Of course now was not the time to be imagining any sort of fictional character. If they were going to survive—if _he_ was going to survive—he'd need to find some source of food and there really wasn't much better than deer. It would last for a while and it would be better than eating some stray canned food from God knows where.

"Your call." Shane hunched over and rested his arms across his knees.

* * *

And Daryl had done just that. The next morning he woke up before anyone else, grabbed his crossbow, made sure he had his knife with him on his belt, and left. He hadn't thought much about it, but really the hunt would do him some good. First of all, it would keep him up and moving—distracted from any thoughts that could hit him. And second, it gave him the space and distance to put between himself and the others, especially with his side still protesting in pain. He had gotten a decent look at the injury before he headed out noticing the bruise that ran along over top of his ribs. At least it wasn't visible and nobody could question him while he was out and alone in the middle of the woods.

He managed to spot a deer hours ago, stalking it and waiting for just the right time to strike. He had already wrangled up a couple squirrels, proving to be a much easier target and not as skittish as the doe he had his eyes on. All it took was one wrong step, snapping a small twig beneath his foot. That doe raised its head up and looked right at him before it took off in a flash.

_Damn it! _

Daryl huffed and tossed the squirrels against the closest tree. Apparently he was in dire need of brushing up on his hunting skills. He used to be so much more agile in the woods, creeping along so silently as if he was a natural born ninja or some shit. Nature was not having it.

He continued to walk through the woods, nabbing a few more squirrels for the collection. As the hours passed he found himself feeling more and more at a loss. It was harder than hell to find a damn deer, where did they all go? He'd been tracking what he thought was a deer only for the tracks to get tangled up in a mess. They disappeared all together.

The sun was setting fairly quickly as Daryl knew he'd have to seek high ground for the night. He was most likely a couple miles or more out by now from the campsite hunting for game. He'd go ahead and settle down for the night before he got too wrapped up in trying to tame the wild. And with that, he managed to climb up into a tree, cursing under his breath the entire time as his side screamed out in pain from the movement and brushing against the rough bark. He finally settled on a branch that was high enough to be out of reach and thick enough to hold his weight with no problem. He hung his crossbow up on a nearby branch and tossed the rope that dangled with the squirrels next to it. He grinned to himself at his little set up as he propped his back up against the trunk of the tree and got some shut-eye.

* * *

When Daryl had awoke the next morning, he was happy to see that he was still in the tree. Falling from this height wouldn't exactly feel too great so he was thankful he was able to stay firmly planted where he was.

He had carefully climbed back down from the tree with the string of squirrels and crossbow before he was back on the move again. This time he was lucky because he spotted a deer right off hand. He was able to sink a couple good shots into it, piercing it with two of his bolts. It wouldn't be long until he could finally claim it as his and drag it back to the camp. All he had to do was follow its tracks.

Of course by the time he figured he was getting close, he could hear quite the ruckus through the trees and brush. Like a handful of people were beating something to a pulp. When he was able to cut through the clearing he realized what had happened as he had at least half of the group from camp staring him down with weapons raised.

Shane sighed as he lowered his shotgun. Everyone else lowered their weapons as well and turned back to the disaster spilled out in front of them.

"Son of a bitch—" Daryl cursed out loud. "That was _my_ damn deer!" The deer had been chewed on by a walker that now lay decapitated thanks to the group and he kicked the walker's body out of frustration. Nobody said a word as he shook his head and turned his attention back to the deer. "Think we can still salvage it? Maybe just cut around this here?" He motioned towards the hole that was now apparent from the walker having a light snack.

"I would not risk that," Shane shifted the shotgun above his head and rested it behind his neck.

Daryl sighed and began to retrieve the bolts that he had fired. "Damn shame. Woulda been nice for a change. Got some squirrel at least…"

At that moment, the walker's head had reanimated, snapping its jaw. Amy and Andrea were repulsed by the movement and headed back through the trees to camp. Daryl shook his head. These people apparently knew nothing about these things. They weren't vampires… There was no need to separate the head from the body.

"C'mon, people. It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?" Daryl shot it with a bolt and retrieved it before leaving everyone standing around, dumbfounded. He had learned that first day that it had to be the brain, otherwise the bastards just kept coming.

As Daryl walked through the camp, he called out for Merle. He was obviously back since the others were. He caught a look on Andrea's face that he couldn't quite place before Shane was calling him.

"Now, hold up a minute, Daryl. Need to talk to you." Shane placed his hands on his hips as he closed in the gap between them, Daryl waiting for him to start talking.

"About what?" Daryl eyed him suspiciously, his eyes darting around at the others for a moment. Now he could tell whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good. They all had that look about them.

"About Merle," Shane began. "There was a problem in Atlanta."

"He dead?" Daryl started pacing without even realizing it, never taking his eyes off of Shane. What was he suppose to think? Everyone else was accounted for—only Merle was missing.

"We're not sure," Shane replied. He ducked his head down but Daryl knew better than that. Shane didn't give a damn. It was all just an act put on to make him look like the good guy.

"Either he is or he ain't!" Daryl raised his voice. Then another man spoke up. A man he didn't recognize from any previous day.

"There's no easy way to say this so I'll just go ahead…" the man stepped forward.

"Who're you?" Daryl switched his glare from Shane to the man.

"Rick Grimes."

"_Rick Grimes?_" Daryl spat his name with distaste. "You got something you wanna tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger and a threat to us all. So I handcuffed him to a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Daryl began to pace again, rubbing the side of his head. "Let me process this… You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof? And you _left him there?_"

This _Rick Grimes_ had the nerve to mutter a small "yes" in response. And that was all it took in that moment to set Daryl off. He threw the damn squirrels and charged at Rick before Shane flat out tackled him. Once he hit the ground, he pulled the knife from the sheath on his belt and got back to his feet swinging. He didn't pay any attention to anyone else and what they may or may not have been saying. All he knew was that he wasn't about to let this guy get away with abandoning Merle on a roof.

But Rick had grabbed him by the wrist and was able to disarm him, tossing the knife aside as he felt Shane grab his arms momentarily before he felt Shane's arm collapse around his neck, trapping him in a chokehold. He immediately tried to pull free and quickly realized that Shane had the upper hand.

"You best let me go!" Daryl shouted, fighting against Shane.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't," Shane replied. He tightened his grip all the while Daryl still tried to thrash about and get free.

"Chokehold's illegal—" Daryl grumbled.

"Yeah, you can file a complaint…" Shane muttered in response. He had complete control of the situation as he lowered him to the ground on his knees. "C'mon, now. I can keep this up all day."

Daryl didn't pick up on anything that Rick had to say to him after that. He watched his lips move as words came pouring out but he refused to listen. This entire situation was nothing but a crock of bullshit. Of course Merle wasn't going to play nice—had they not gathered that already from the past 48 hours?

Shane finally let up, releasing his hold on Daryl's neck as he fell forward and caught himself. Once again he found the pain starting to flare up as he remained stationary for a moment before slowly getting back to his feet.

"Hell with all y'all!" Daryl yelled. "Just tell me where he is so I can go get him…" He knew damn well that if Merle was even still there—if he was even still alive—there'd be hell to pay. The sooner Daryl could go out and try to find him, the better. Merle would still be pissed though.

* * *

After having a group discussion about whether it was worth risking lives to go back into Atlanta for Merle and a bag of guns, they were finally there. Daryl got the feeling that they were doing it more for the guns than anything. And maybe because Rick couldn't deal with the guilt. Other than that, it seemed pretty clear that no one wanted to even bother trying to go back for Merle. Hell, Daryl was about to go by himself but Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn decided to give in.

T-Dog had just clipped the chain off as Daryl kicked the door open, running for where he assumed they left Merle, calling out to him. Of course he was the first one to reach the other side of the roof that was blocked from his view. And part of him wished he hadn't been.

"No—NO!" Daryl practically dropped his crossbow. Merle was _gone_. All that was left was his hand, an old hacksaw, and the dangling bloody handcuff. The son of a bitch cut off his own damn hand.

Daryl paced back and forth trying to keep himself together. All he could do was stare at the scene displayed before him. But this? This was apparently the cherry on top. This was like he had just stepped into his own personal Hell. And for the first time since everything that had happened, tears had not only threatened to flow over, but they did. He was actually crying as he couldn't help but pace and keep repeating "no, no, no".

This was his breaking point. This is where he drew the line and it had become too much. He lost Elena, he lost Leah, and now Merle. He had _nothing_ left. It was his idea to begin with, joining this group. And look what became of it. It served him right. He should have just stuck with Merle, he should have listened. If he could, he'd take back everything bad he had ever said about his brother. And he didn't care anymore—all he wanted was to have Merle back. Someone familiar, someone he knows, his family. He never meant any of those things he may have said out loud or thought to himself—he was just mad.

Daryl wiped the back of his hand across his face to hide the evidence that he had finally cracked. He gripped the crossbow in his hands tight as he whipped around and immediately pointed it at T-Dog. It was his fault after all, his and Rick's. He had dropped the key and left him there. Rick had cuffed him. They were both fucking guilty and it was their fault.

As Daryl walked closer to T-Dog with the crossbow still raised, he shot him the deadliest glare he could work up. All he had to do was pull that trigger and he'd be dead. But he wasn't sure he could just kill someone that easily, even under the circumstances.

He could see Rick from the corner of his eye step forward now, the Colt Python revolver raised at his head. Rick cocked the hammer on the gun as Glenn stayed back.

"Put it down, Daryl," Rick threatened.

Daryl stayed put for a moment, keeping the crossbow aimed and his glare locked onto T-Dog. But no matter how pissed off he was, he couldn't do it. He couldn't pull the trigger and kill the man. It wasn't going to change anything. So he hesitantly dropped the weapon back down at his side and shot a look at Rick.

"I oughta put a bolt through both of your damn heads," Daryl mumbled.

"I'm sorry, man. I never would have thought he'd… do _that_…" T-Dog grimaced at Merle's hand.

* * *

The fact that Merle had cut off his own hand truly didn't surprise Daryl. If that man wanted something, he'd get it one way or another. Merle was the toughest son of a bitch he'd ever known. He never took any shit from anyone. He was probably his own worst enemy.

Daryl just had to tell himself that Merle was okay wherever the hell he was. He apparently made it obvious that he didn't want to be found, not sticking around. Besides, nobody could kill Merle but Merle.

They had followed the slight blood trail that Merle had left and ended up coming short in the long run. There was no evidence of which way he went and where he could have possibly gone. So Daryl had to give up, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. He just backed Glenn up so that he could run out in the street to grab the bag of guns and head back to meet up with Rick and T-Dog. Not only did Glenn grab the guns but he grabbed that damn sheriff hat as well.

Once they made their way back towards where they parked the moving van, they realized it was gone. Daryl figured it had to of been Merle—who else? So they were left having to walk back to the quarry.

The group was just ahead now, Daryl being able to make out the figures around the campfire. He noticed Amy was standing by the RV in that moment. But something caught his eye. And he'd be damned if that wasn't a walker coming up beside Amy out of her line of sight.

"Look out!—" Daryl shouted, throwing his crossbow up to aim. He wasn't sure if he'd make it on time but it was worth a shot. He really wasn't in the mood to lose anyone else, even if he barely knew these people. Not to mention, he didn't owe them a damn thing.

* * *

**If things start to get too tedious, let me know. Sorry if it seems like I'm skipping around a lot. I'm trying to speed up the process and get to the OCs a little faster. And I'm actually a bit excited for this to progress.**

**I do want to say that nothing in any of my stories are completely set in stone. If there's something that you're hoping/wanting to see, let me know by leaving a review or sending me a PM. Maybe I'll incorporate your idea. And of course, I'll give credit where it's due.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any of you who have made this a favorite or are following. It means a LOT. Especially reviews. So thank you guys. xoxo **


	7. Bound To Happen

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I'm not very happy with this one, but I had to get through it to keep moving forward. The good news is I was able to speed things up a bit. _The OCs are coming next chapter!_

* * *

_**Bound To Happen.**_

Luckily, Daryl had made it just in time. The bolt whistled through the air and pierced the walker through the head, dropping to the ground. Amy had let out a small scream before she turned and ran back inside the RV to safety. Daryl was relieved because even though he couldn't care less about these people, he couldn't picture an innocent girl being killed.

As they drew closer to the group they quickly realized there was more than just one walker they had to worry about. A whole herd seemed to come from out of nowhere, surrounding them.

"Shane!—" Rick called out to the man and threw the bag of guns at him, having already been loaded himself, as well as Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog. Shane distributed the weapons as necessary and it wasn't long before the sound of gunfire ricocheted through the air. It was truly foolish for the fact that it would probably draw in that many more walkers but they didn't have much of a choice.

Daryl joined in on it though, firing a shotgun at any walker that seemed to come near or threaten to take someone else. Since it was dark and there was so much chaos, it was hard to tell what was going on. He noticed Rick and Shane had Lori and Carl safely tucked between them as they fired away. Glenn and T-Dog were back to back while they took out some walkers. Andrea blasted a couple on her way to the RV, throwing the door open and running in to her sister. What technically surprised him though was the fact that Carol and Sophia kept close to him. Apparently they found safety in him—which was a bit odd.

It seemed to go on forever—the screams, the yelling, the gunfire. Daryl could only imagine what this place was going to look like in the morning with the sunlight to highlight everything. It had to be damn near close to something straight out of a horror movie. There were dead walkers galore, scattered along the ground in piles with their dark blood oozing from their skulls. And to top that off, there were the freshly killed bodies of the others who were a part of the group—the people who stuck to themselves and minded their own business, never saying much. They were all dead, their bodies covered in streams of red.

Daryl made out a low snarl as he glanced over and spotted one lone walker that was still breathing, chewing on the flesh of one of those bodies. He grimaced at the image and raised the shotgun, taking the shot and blowing its brains out of the back of its head.

"Oh, my God—is everyone okay?" Lori's voice was shaky as her eyes searched the darkness for any more threats. "Carl, baby, come here." She pulled her son close, bending down to scoop him into a hug as he cried into her shoulder.

It took a moment, but everyone seemed to huddle back together—Rick, Shane, Lori, Carl, Andrea, Amy, Dale, T-Dog, Glenn, Jacqui, Morales and his family, Jim, Carol, Sophia. Everyone was accounted for except for Ed… And without even bothering to look for him, Daryl just knew.

"W-what do we do?" Amy covered her mouth as she slightly shook her head in shock. Andrea put an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"We'll just have to stake out for the night, wait until morning. Then, we'll have enough light to see what we're left dealing with," Shane spoke up, taking his place as the group leader.

"Shane's right. There's not a whole lot we can do until we have the light on our side," Rick nodded in agreement. He gently pulled Lori over towards him and kissed her on the forehead before he ran a hand through Carl's hair.

Daryl rubbed the back of his neck. He was definitely ready to call it a night. Besides, it's not like anything else could go wrong for him. There wasn't anything _left_ to go wrong. He gave it some thought and decided against staying up to keep watch. He was tired and these people had it coming. It was nothing but their own damn fault. They left Merle for dead on that rooftop and now he was nowhere to be found.

So, Daryl minded his own business and he slept in the cab of his truck with his crossbow close by.

* * *

_It took six months before Elena had dragged Daryl to her sister's house. And here they were, ringing the doorbell to the extensive two-story home where Elena's family lived. Leah huddled between the two of them as Daryl listened to the footsteps approach the door from the other side._

"_Elena," the man who had answered the door smiled. "Come on in. Skyler and Hannah have been patiently waiting for you guys." _

_Daryl allowed Elena and Leah to enter before him as he shut the door behind him. They each kicked their shoes off and slid them over out of the way. Leah had already taken off to go find Hannah. They were cousins and they were only a year apart. Needless to say, they were very close. _

"_Well, Matt… This is Daryl. Daryl, Matt," Elena introduced them, smiling. _

_Daryl nodded his head, "Hey, nice to meet you." _

"_Likewise," Matt extended his hand as Daryl took it in a rather firm and somewhat awkward handshake. It wasn't that he had anything against the man. He just wasn't used to any formality with greetings. And he had already confessed to Elena that he was nervous about meeting her family for that reason. He was just an awkward being._

_They walked through the dining room and into the kitchen where Skyler was on the phone with someone. Her face lit up as she took in the sight of her sister and Daryl. "I've got to go, I'll call you back." She hung up and placed the phone down on the counter, a grin spreading across her face. "This is the guy, huh?" _

_Elena laughed, "Please don't give him a hard time right off the bat. He doesn't know you like I do."_

_Daryl smiled as he looked back and forth between the sisters. They definitely had their striking resemblances. Skyler had a bit lighter hair color, having more blonde in it with a slight hint of natural red tones whereas Elena's was more brunette. They both had the same slender figure and it appeared that Skyler was maybe an inch or two taller—though still shorter than Daryl. _

"_Hi, Skyler. It's nice to finally meet you," Daryl offered. _

"_Yeah, you're telling me. I swear it's like she was trying to keep you a secret from me or something. Had to pry it out of her." Skyler walked over closer to them as she glanced at her husband, "By the way, that was Kathy. She was just calling to remind us that Brian got the promotion."_

_Daryl could tell from Skyler's tone that she wasn't a big fan of this "Kathy". And Matt's chuckle only cleared that up for him. _

"_Good for Brian," Matt shook his head, a grin still on his face to hold back from laughing further. _

_Skyler turned back to Daryl, "Kathy and Brian just like to call us and brag about their lives. So, yeah we're a little sarcastic. But I promise we're not hateful people." _

"_Yeah, yeah… I picked up on the sarcasm," Daryl forced a laugh. "Some great friends, huh?" _

"_You don't even know the half of it," Skyler sighed. She continued, "Enough about them. What about you two? Elena? Come on! You seriously didn't even mention him until a few months ago and I'm just now meeting him. What's up with that?" _

_Elena looked over at Daryl and smiled, placing a hand on his arm. "You know me. I'm picky with my men. Had to make sure he was the real deal and could put up with my crazy sister before bringing him here." _

"_You don't have a clue what you're getting yourself into with these two, do you?" Matt pretended to whisper behind his hand at Daryl. _

"_Hey—I heard that. You're the one who married me." Skyler placed her hands on her hips dramatically. "My sister and I are a packaged deal. Just warning you now, Daryl. You get all of this too." Skyler put her arms up at her sides, basically telling him that he was a part of the family now. _

_At that moment, there was pitter patter of feet across the floor from the next room over before Leah and Hannah emerged through the doorway laughing. Daryl wasn't sure if they were playing some sort of game or what, but the sight of them having a giggling fit made him smile. Elena's family seemed really nice. And thankfully, they were very easy going._

* * *

When the sun stretched from beyond the horizon, they learned that they certainly had their work cut out for them. The campsite was just littered with bodies strewn all over and the sight was rather repulsive—blood and guts spilled out from gaping wounds, flesh torn from some of the bodies and exposing bone.

T-Dog and Glenn had started a fire and everyone worked together to do what needed to be done. Daryl helped carry some of the bodies over to the fire and he used a pick ax to make sure that none of those things were going to rise back up.

Daryl walked over to the next body and grimaced at the view. Half of his body had been eaten away from the walkers but his face was still perfectly intact. The poor prick bastard…

Just as Daryl was about to raise the pick ax to his head, Carol stopped him.

"He's my husband. I'll do it…"

Daryl looked at her for a moment before handing the weapon over, her fragile hands grasping a hold of the handle. And he watched as she forced herself to bring the pick ax over her head and into Ed's skull. He figured that was good. Ed definitely wasn't going to come back after that blow. But Carol just kept going. She cried as she slammed the pick ax into his skull a second time, then a third. Daryl glanced back and forth between the damage she was doing and her as he took a step back. Apparently that was her way of letting out all of her frustration. He _was_ a complete dick, after all.

Carol wiped her face and handed the weapon back to Daryl as she walked away to Sophia. Daryl could only hope that maybe she felt better after smashing his skull beyond recognition.

"Jim! He's bit!—Jim's been bit!" Jacqui's shrill cry of words resonated among the camp grabbing everyone's attention in that moment. Daryl immediately turned to see Jim pick up a shovel and take a few steps back in defense.

"I'm okay, really. I'm okay," Jim's eyes searched everyone straight ahead of him who had locked eyes with him.

"Grab him!" Daryl dropped the pick ax and ran towards them just as T-Dog got Jim in an arm lock behind his back. Daryl grabbed Jim's shirt and pulled it up to expose where the fresh blood was coming from. It was clear as day; Jim _had_ been bitten. The outline of the bite was right there in front of him as he dropped his shirt back down and took a step back.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Jim repeated as T-Dog released his arms. "I'm okay…"

Daryl looked to Rick and Shane, waiting to see what they were going to do about this. If Jim was bit, that was all there was to it. He'd have to be killed. There was no beating around the bush and hoping for him to get better. But of course Rick led Jim over to the back of the RV and had him rest against the bumper.

"If he's bit, we need to take care of it. One shot, clean through the head," Daryl tapped his finger on his temple as Rick returned to the group. "The least we could do it put him out of his misery. He's gonna die anyway."

"For God's sake, no. We're not killing a man," Lori clutched her hand to her heart. "That's just downright cold blooded murder."

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers," Daryl spat.

"You're gonna tell me that that's what you'd want? You'd want your brains to be… to be blown out of your head?" Shane rested his hands on his hips, cocking his head to the side.

Daryl scoffed, "Yeah, and I'd thank ya for doin' it."

"Maybe Daryl has a point." Dale stepped forward.

"You can't be serious." Lori stared at the man, her eyes wide with fear.

Daryl shook his head as he picked up the pick ax once again, gripping the handle tight in his hands. He got one last glance at everyone before he abruptly turned around and charged at Jim. But before he knew it, he could hear the audible click of Rick cocking the hammer on that damn Colt Python not far from his head as he stopped mid swing with the pick ax. Jim had fallen off the bumper in a clumsy manner, staring up at Daryl in fear from on the ground. Shane casually stepped in front of Daryl to block Jim from him.

"We don't kill the living." The words rolled off Rick's tongue as if it were a threat. Though, the gun shoved in his face certainly was.

"That's funny…" Daryl lowered the pick ax and faced Rick. "Coming from a man who just put a gun to my head."

"Now we may not agree on some things but this here is a serious matter. We are not going to kill Jim." Shane spoke up now.

"Put it down, Daryl," Rick warned.

Daryl huffed and stabbed the pick ax into the ground. If they wanted to do it their way, then that was fine by him. His word was never accounted for much of anything anyway.

There was talk about trying to make it to the CDC. Then there was talk about there possibly being some kind of cure. Daryl thought it was all pointless and he refused to believe any chance of there being a cure. There just couldn't be. Not after… everything.

And it was just that simple. At Rick's words, everyone loaded up and into the vehicles to head off in search for the CDC. Morales and his family decided to hang back, said they had family they were going to go back and look for. Daryl didn't see the point in that either. A good portion of everyone out there had to be dead by now. The Earth's population wasn't that intelligent. Rick handed a couple guns and a box of ammunition over to them before parting, and that action seemed to strike a wrong chord with Shane.

"It's Jim, y'all! I don't know how much more he can take!" Jacqui fled down the few stairs of the RV, running her hands over her head.

They had come to a halt in order to fix up the RV. And while they were taking a momentary break, apparently things only got worse for Jim. He was sick and the fever was definitely taking its toll.

Rick exited the RV after speaking to the man, his head lowered. "He wants us to leave him here."

"What? Is he lucid? That's just suicide." Carol pulled Sophia closer to her, running a hand through her dark blonde hair.

"He's all there," Rick nodded. "But we can't just leave him here to die. It isn't right."

"That's not your call to make," Lori shook her head. "The least we can do is honor his last wishes."

"Now hold on here," Dale held his hands up. "You misunderstood me earlier when I said I agreed with Daryl. I simply meant we should ask Jim what he wants. And I believe we have an answer."

"Is Jim going to die?" Sophia's innocent voice filled the air as she glanced up at her mom.

"He's very sick, sweetie. And there's nothing that any of us can do to make him better," Carol explained.

Rick and Shane helped carry Jim out of the RV and over to the side of the road. They left him propped up against a tree a little ways up a small hill that overlooked the highway. Everyone crowded around him to pay their respects, though keeping enough distance so that they weren't suffocating.

"I just want to be with my family…" Jim muttered. "That's all…"

Rick bent down next to him and offered him a snub nosed pistol. "Do you want me to leave this here with you? It has one round…"

"No, no, keep it. You're going to need it," Jim grimaced in pain. "I'm okay."

Rick slowly nodded before standing back up straight. He took a few steps back to be side by side with Lori and Carl before the three of them turned to head back to the road.

Daryl watched as everyone began to file back now and he stayed put, deciding to be the last one to follow. He looked at Jim one last time, their eyes meeting as he gave him a prompt nod. It was more of an 'I'll see you on the other side' gesture than anything. He could respect Jim for his wishes and wanting to just be back with his family. But Daryl couldn't see going through the pain of it all. And with no way to kill himself, Jim would eventually turn. That was no way to go.

Daryl decided then that if worse came to worse, he'd prefer a bullet to the head any day than to suffer like Jim had.

* * *

**I actually have the next chapter already finished and I believe I was able to keep it flowing fairly well. Let me know what y'all are thinking so far! I love to read what you have to say! Ahem… All you silent followers out there! ;) **

**Thanks again for sticking with me; reading, reviewing, favorites, and follows. They are all very much appreciated! xoxo**


	8. Hush Hush

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Well, it is finally here. Again I apologize if this one feels rushed. But things should flow a lot smoother after this one.

* * *

_**Hush Hush.**_

The next few days only seemed to get worse, like a downhill progression.

The CDC was a bust. Once they had gotten there, they had witnessed the best night of their lives since the apparent apocalypse. They had real food, shelter, running water, and _air conditioning_. It felt like a miracle to have those few things—things that were so easy to come by before.

But the news that Jenner had displayed was anything but good. There was no cure. And they had all just about died there when Jenner locked them in. _'Decontamination' my ass_. But they made it out just in time. Even Amy, Andrea, and Dale. Amy was ready to give up. It was only obvious she wasn't fit to live in a world like this, Daryl could tell. There was more hope for Andrea. She seemed like she could handle herself a little better than her younger sibling. And of course Dale had stayed with them, considering them family and perhaps ultimately being the one to talk them out of it.

Jacqui had stayed though. She stayed with Jenner and went up in flames with the CDC. Daryl couldn't help but wonder if that was maybe the best decision after all. And part of him couldn't blame Amy for wanting to stay.

And now here they all were, separated and on the verge on desperate. They had gotten hung up on the long stretch of highway. The radiator hose blew on the old Winnebago and Dale had to try his best to patch it up and get it running again. While that had happened, a herd of walkers blew through and they had lost Sophia. The little girl had scooted out from under the car too soon and was chased off by the dead creatures into the depths of the woods. If Daryl had been closer when it had initially occurred, he would have been the one to run after her. But Rick stepped up to the plate. Since his appearance back on the quarry, it seemed as though he were taking over the leadership role of the group and taking Shane's place.

But of course, Rick had returned empty handed—no Sophia, nothing. That little girl was still lost out there. And when they decided to all take the approach and go looking for her together, it still didn't make matters any better. In fact, it made them worse.

They had split up—Rick, Shane, and Carl heading off in a different direction while everyone else headed back for the highway where T-Dog and Dale were working on getting the RV back up and running. A young woman on horseback had swooped in and taken Lori to some farm house claiming that Carl had been shot. Daryl tried to talk some sense into her, tried to explain that she couldn't just leave with that strange woman. But Lori left in a flash, just disappeared through the trees saddled up on that horse.

While most everyone had headed for this farmhouse, Daryl hung back with Dale, Carol, Andrea, and Amy. Daryl knew the pain that Carol was feeling, how much it hurt to lose a child. Even though Leah wasn't _his_, she was the next closest thing. At this rate, he'd never know if she was still out there and safe. But with Carol and Sophia—it felt like he could… redeem himself. He should have tried to make his way back to town, back to Skyler and Matt's house. He shouldn't have just given up that easily. But Merle would've never let him. Merle would have held him back.

But Daryl felt like he could find Sophia. He had faith. That little girl would be just fine out there, even though she'd be scared and alone. She was smart enough to know how to keep out of the grasps of walkers. She was close to thirteen. She'd be fine. And really, a part of Daryl felt like if he could find Sophia, then maybe he could find Leah too. It would give him hope.

As the sun set and night had taken over, Daryl couldn't sleep. He couldn't even think about sleeping. Not with Carol constantly crying and mourning the loss of Sophia, with no way to be sure she was even still alive. And Andrea kept fiddling around with the damn guns making all sorts of racket with the clinking metal.

He stepped outside of the RV and leaned against it, lowering himself down into a sitting position with his knees propped up. He mindlessly ran his hand over his pant pocket that contained Elena's necklace. Since that day, he had always carried it with him.

The door to the RV opened and closed before Daryl glanced over to see who it was. He sighed when he noticed it was Amy. The girl was definitely a talker. He wasn't sure if she'd ever leave him alone or even knew how to keep her mouth shut.

"Hey, Daryl?" Amy slowly approached him. "I just wanted to say thanks… For saving me back at the quarry. I never really thanked you for… killing that walker."

"More of a reflex than anything," Daryl shrugged.

"Well, that's one hell of a reflex then," Andrea had now joined them, shutting the door behind her. "And I'm grateful. Really, I am. I don't know what I would do without Amy."

"Yeah, yeah. You can save your sappy stories for someone who cares," Daryl waved his hand dismissively at the sisters.

"…I'm sorry about Merle. For what it's worth," Andrea lowered her voice, speaking softly.

Daryl slightly twitched at her words. He couldn't muster up a response to that. What was he suppose to say? 'Thanks'? Andrea was a part of the group that left him there.

"And I think you're right. We'll find Sophia." Andrea added. Once they realized Daryl wasn't going to say anymore, they headed back inside the RV for the night.

* * *

The next morning seemed to be nothing but more chaos. Once they got the RV up and running, they headed for the farmhouse where the rest of the group had relocated after Carl was shot. And when they first showed up, there was a funeral for a man that was a part of the farmhouse group. Something about him and Shane had gone out to collect supplies for Carl and he had been killed by walkers. Except the little story that Shane had to share was complete bullshit. The evident limp that he had didn't help his case either. No, Daryl didn't even have to be there to know the entire story. He knew Shane had killed Otis in cold blood.

Once things began to settle down a bit, Daryl decided to go talk to Carol. She had been cooped up in the RV for the past couple days. She hardly spoke to anyone and she was completely shutting everyone out over the loss of Sophia. Daryl just figured if anyone understood what she was going through, it was him.

"Hey…" Daryl walked down the little hall inside the RV and stopped just at the end of it. Carol was sitting up, working a needle through a blanket she had in her lap. She stopped to look up at him and Daryl took note that her face was dry of tears.

"Hey," Carol managed a tiny hello in return. She fidgeted with the blanket in her hand and glanced down at the floor.

"I was thinking about uh… Going out on a supply run. Take some time to clear my head," Daryl began. "Was thinking maybe you'd like to come with?"

Carol looked up at him now. "Me? Why?"

"I know it may sound out of place for me to ask but I figured it was worth a shot. And to be honest, I think you could use it. Get out of here for a bit." Daryl paused. He tried to think of how to word it. He didn't want to sound like an ass, though he felt like he had already accomplished that feat just coming in here.

But Carol didn't say anymore. She just sort of shook her head and continued to work on the blanket.

And Daryl caved.

"Look… Ya gotta get up and do something; you can't just keep sittin' around. You'll die doing that. I know it's harsh but…" Daryl sighed, "I lost some people too. I guess that's why I was so bitter. I didn't really know how to cope but I knew I couldn't just sit around. I'd go insane."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Carol's voice was soft. "Who…?"

Daryl rubbed his face. He couldn't believe he was telling her this. "Elena and Leah… Was my girlfriend and her daughter. But they were all I had, besides Merle. Elena… Elena didn't make it. But I think Leah could still be out there. Somewhere. I still have hope."

It was silent for a moment while Carol stared back at him, words sifting through her head. She looked a bit shocked if anything.

"Okay." Carol placed the blanket she was working on to the side. "I'll go with you."

Daryl nodded before he led the way out of the RV and into the fresh—muggy—Georgia air. He flagged down Glenn as the man approached him and Carol followed behind.

"What's going on?" Glenn asked.

"Goin' on a supply run. Gonna see what the nearest town has to offer." Daryl nodded his head towards Carol, "Takin' her with me. Get some fresh air."

Glenn looked back and forth between the two. "Okay. Just be careful. I'll pass the word along."

And with that, Daryl walked with Carol over to the Triumph. He could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't so certain about the bike.

"Ain't nothing to worry about. S'good on gas so it's a better choice in the matter." Daryl threw his leg over and positioned himself on the motorcycle. He started it up with a loud rumble from the engine before Carol managed to squeeze onto the back of it, her arms wrapped around his torso.

* * *

It was a fairly smooth ride as they crept into a small town. There were a few houses scattered about, resembling that of a ghost town. It was dead silent and there weren't any walkers in sight.

Daryl killed the engine next to one of the ranch homes, knocking the kickstand down with his foot and turning the front tire. He didn't move until Carol was beside him, giving him enough room to throw his leg back over and join her. The house had white siding with black shutters and a little concrete porch that led up to the front door that hung slightly open. It wasn't exactly the most inviting but it was a start.

Daryl grabbed his crossbow off the back of the bike and led the way inside with Carol a couple steps behind him. He had told her to stay close since she didn't carry any type of weapon. When he had offered her a pistol, she only looked at it with fear. He took a mental note that that was something he'd need to work on with her.

He nudged the front door open with his foot as it creaked on its hinges. Squeezing through the entrance, he took in the sight of the interior of the home. It looked as though it had already been possibly raided. There were a few clothing articles tossed among the floor and drawers were ripped out of an armoire in the first bedroom they passed.

Before trying the kitchen for food, Daryl decided it was best to search the whole house for any visitors. The last thing they needed was to be sorting through any food items that were left and either be taken down by a few straggling walkers or to have their heads blown away by another group of survivors.

And that was when he heard it. Just the slightest sound, a squeak of the floorboards down the hall coming from one of the bedrooms. Of course there was the off chance that it could have just been the house settling, but it didn't seem likely. Daryl threw his arm out to push Carol directly behind him as he advanced forward with caution, crossbow raised.

"Hold it right there!"

_What the hell?..._

Daryl immediately turned around to face the figure the voice belonged to. It was a younger female with long, jet black hair just a little passed her shoulders. Her cheeks were spotted with freckles, which Daryl thought was unusual since she had dark hair. She had a pistol trained on him as she took a couple steps forward, away from the wall that she had her back pressed up against. She had been completely out of sight when Daryl and Carol had walked right passed her. Her blue eyes locked onto his as he kept the crossbow steady. He didn't really dare shoot her, but he wasn't going to let his guard down.

But then there was a scurry of footsteps coming from that back bedroom. Daryl disregarded the dark haired woman and turned back towards the hall. Two men stood there now, both of them armed with pistols themselves as they walked forward. All three of these new people looked to be about the same age, give or take. One of the men was black, his dark hair kept short to his head and his dark eyes also locked onto Daryl. The other man was more of a brunette, his hair kept a bit longer almost covering his hazel eyes. Both of them looked to be rather scrawny, their physical appearance not being much of a threat besides the guns.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl demanded.

"I think the better question is who are _you?_" The second man questioned, never taking his eyes off of him. "You the one with the loud-ass bike?"

Daryl could feel Carol grip the back of his shirt as they took a few steps back. Daryl was trying to get it so that all three of these people were in his line of sight, so that his back wasn't turned to anyone. These people were a threat since they were armed. He didn't know any of them and he couldn't take a chance. He now regretted bringing Carol into this mess.

"What's it to ya?" Daryl snarled. He kept his crossbow trained on the men, assuming the woman wouldn't give him too much trouble. Maybe he was stereotyping, but it wasn't very likely that a woman would attack before a man. Men typically had the anger issues.

"You realize that you could have just attracted biters for miles coming into this town on that thing?" The woman spoke up again. She kept a firm grip on her gun.

"Ain't too concerned about it. Plan was to drop in, grab a few things, and leave." Daryl kept his eyes moving, watching for any sudden movement out of the three.

"I think you should just keep moving then. Ain't nothing here to see," the black male spoke. "This is our town. We found it and we're not about to give it up."

Daryl scoffed, "You three are trying to claim the whole damn town? I don't think so."

"We've got others," the female replied.

"Well, that makes two of us…" Daryl narrowed his eyes.

The black man shifted to the side a bit, drawing Daryl's attention to him as he realized he was only glancing out the window behind him and Carol. "Really? Looks like it's just you and the woman. And I'd say you're outnumbered. You pull the trigger on that thing and see what happens."

"Daryl…" Carol mumbled. "Let's just get out of here…"

Daryl shook his head, "You hidin' others in here? S'that what makes you feel so confident?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah. We're not afraid of a single man with a crossbow. And if you want to cause trouble, we're not afraid to put an end to it." The woman stepped over, making sure to close off the way Daryl and Carol had entered. The two exits were now blocked, their only escape being through a window.

Daryl had directed his attention at the woman while she spoke but another creak in the floorboard drew him back to the hallway by the two men. He still had the crossbow raised as he took in the new figure that had appeared from around the corner. The glare on his face slowly faded as his arm slightly twitched. It was a little girl. She looked about Sophia's age. She stayed slightly hidden behind the two men, just barely poking her head out to get a glimpse of him in return.

Without even realizing it, he had completely lowered his crossbow. He couldn't take his eyes off the girl… Her long golden brown hair, her bangs hung just above her hazel eyes. She had a hole tore in one knee of her faded jeans and an old baggy shirt that seemed to almost engulf her, being way too big for her small frame. His heart raced and his head suddenly felt like it was going to explode. He thought that maybe he was hallucinating, that maybe it was just any ordinary girl. He thought that maybe his mind was playing some cruel trick on him. It was the one thing he wanted more than anything, so why would it be true?

But it was true. He was staring back at Leah.


	9. Miracle

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** This one's pretty long. Oops? Let me know what you think! :)

* * *

_**Miracle.**_

"…Daryl?" Leah stepped away from the two men and started towards him.

Daryl just completely dropped the crossbow to the floor and met her half way, falling to one knee. Her eyes watered as she threw her arms around him, grabbing onto his shirt and crying into his shoulder. He hugged her tight in return. He couldn't believe it. He was almost positive that he was dreaming now. Leah was okay. She was _right here_, in his arms.

"Hey—whoa, whoa! What's going on?" The black male took a few steps forward.

"Andrew, put the gun down!" The woman warned.

Daryl rubbed Leah's back before he grabbed her by the shoulders and slightly pushed her back at arm's length, looking her over to make sure she wasn't hurt. "You alright?"

Leah managed a small nod as she wiped her face. She looked perfectly fine, just covered in a bit of dirt.

He gently placed his hands on the sides of her face, kissing her on the top of her head. His eyes caught a couple new figures by the first two men now as he slowly got back to his feet.

One of the new figures was another male. He looked maybe a bit younger than the others, his dark blonde hair styled in a crew cut. His dark eyes searched Daryl and Carol out, looking for any sign of a threat. He didn't have a weapon drawn on them though.

But the other figure… Daryl was shocked once again. It took him a moment to realize who he was staring back at. Her slightly disheveled hair and dirty clothes threw him off because she was always so clean before.

"Skyler—" Daryl shook his head. He couldn't help but smile.

Skyler had tears in her eyes as she followed Leah's lead and threw her arms around him. He hugged her in return, though it didn't last as long as the hug he had shared with Leah.

"My God—I thought you were dead," Skyler covered her mouth, closing her eyes and trying to take it all in. She wiped her tears before she looked back at him.

"Wait, you both know him?" One of the first males spoke up, clearly confused at the events that had just transpired before him.

"Yes, now back off! Lower the weapons," Skyler demanded. "Daryl, meet Olivia, Alex, Andrew, and Lucas. Everybody, meet Daryl and…"

"Carol," Carol stepped forward now that they were no longer considered a threat. At least she hoped.

"That's everybody?" Daryl glanced back at the others. He had somewhat expected a larger group.

Skyler nodded, "We all kind of ran into each other and here we are." She looked back and forth between him and Carol, "Are _you_ a part of a bigger group?"

Daryl glanced down at Leah by his side and pulled her closer, keeping an arm around her with his hand planted on her shoulder. "Yeah. There's a handful of us. Just relocated to a farmhouse with a few new people as well."

"Is your group open to having more people?" The woman with the black hair, Olivia, questioned. She looked hopeful.

"Probably won't be too thrilled…" Daryl paused. He had to watch what he said in front of Leah. He had to bite back any anger that still existed. He just had to remember he had Leah and Skyler back—and that was the best thing that he could ask for at the moment. "But I'm sure it'll work out. That's if you ain't too trigger happy."

"Not a problem," the dark haired man immediately tucked the pistol into the back of his jeans. Daryl assumed his name was Alex, according to Skyler. That left the black man to be Andrew and the newest man to join the rest of them Lucas.

Daryl noticed that Andrew still kept his pistol gripped tight in his hand. And even though it wasn't targeted at him, he still took it as a threat. He took a step closer to Skyler and lowered his voice so that only he and possibly Leah could hear him. "How long have you been with these people? You trust 'em?"

"Since the beginning really," Skyler shrugged. "I'd say with my life. They haven't done anything to prove to me otherwise."

Daryl looked back at all of them. If he could, he'd just take Skyler and Leah with him. But he had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy. If they had been together as a group all this time they weren't going to just up and separate. Daryl just didn't see how the others back at the Greene's farm were going to be too happy about bringing six people back. They had a hard enough time on their own with the number of people they already had.

"We don't mean any harm. It's just that we didn't know you, we still don't, and we couldn't take any chances. So, I apologize for waving my gun in your face." Alex came forth. His words seemed sincere enough.

"Right. Like he said. We didn't know. And if we could join your group, we'd feel a lot safer. More eyes to keep a look out. The whole 'safety in numbers' thing…" Olivia tried.

"We still have some of our own supplies. And we'll mind our own business," Lucas added.

_Jesus_, these people were desperate. The more they practically pleaded, the more Daryl actually felt sorry for them. He knew he couldn't just flat out trust them at their words. And Andrew still wasn't easing up any. He seemed pretty timid about the situation just as much as Daryl.

"You got your own vehicle?" Daryl asked no one in particular. "It's the only way yer gonna be able to follow."

"We're parked around back," Alex replied. "Does this mean you're taking us with you?"

Daryl sifted through his thoughts. He had to think of all the possibilities. What if these people were lying through their teeth? What if they were only being kind to Leah and Skyler because of who they were? For all Daryl knew, these people could just turn in the snap of a finger and kill him and Carol. They could attack everyone back on the farm.

"They're good people." Leah's small voice broke the silence, causing Daryl to look down at her. He couldn't resist the innocence displayed on her face as he ruffled her hair, a faint smile playing at his lips.

"Yeah…" Daryl finally nodded with approval. The group immediately looked relieved and before he knew it, Olivia was running to him. She crashed into him with her arms wrapped around him in a hug.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how happy we are to have come across you guys," Olivia muttered into his chest.

Daryl pulled his arms free from the hug and slightly pushed her back, "Yeah, don't mention it…"

"It's been hard on all of us. We've… lost others," Skyler lowered her head.

Daryl knew there would be quite a bit to talk about with Skyler once they got away from everyone. Until then he had to keep to himself. He would have to tell her what happened. And she would have to explain her side of the story too.

"Alright. Get whatever is yours and you can follow behind us," Daryl began. "You didn't already raid this town by chance, did you?"

"We got quite a few supplies from a couple houses," Andrew finally spoke.

Daryl nodded, "Good."

* * *

As Daryl maneuvered the Triumph down the long and winding gravel road to the farmhouse, he could see everyone begin to disperse from their camp. The second vehicle had caught everyone's attention as they stepped out into the open, waiting for an explanation.

Daryl shut the bike off and Carol had immediately headed straight for the RV. He watched as she slammed the door behind her, slightly flinching at her actions from afar. He made a mental note that he'd have to talk to her later…

"What's this?" Andrea was the first to ask, eyeing the old Toyota Land Cruiser as everyone began to climb out of it.

"Whoa, now hold up here. Y'all just stay where you are!" Shane stepped in front of Andrea, pushing her back. He shot Daryl a look, "Who are these people?"

Daryl got off of the bike and shrugged. "Family… And people trying to survive."

"Family?" Amy repeated, looking back at the people who had huddled together by the SUV.

Leah joined Daryl's side. She wasn't about to be intimidated by all of the strangers when she had him beside her. Skyler walked over with her.

"Daryl said we could follow him back. We'll keep to ourselves," Alex explained.

"Where did you see the logic in this?" Shane took a few steps closer to Daryl. "Bringing strangers back here? I suppose their armed too?"

"We only have a few handguns. And we're not going to shoot anyone." Skyler kept an eye on Shane as he seemed to be the most unstable one thus far.

"The logic was I wasn't leavin' Leah and Skyler behind. Couldn't just take them from these guys either. Figured it wouldn't hurt for everyone to work together." Daryl looked over at the small group that he had just found, "And if there are any problems, I'll be sure to fix that."

"So, now what? We have to carry a gun on us at all times and hope we can trust them?" Andrea crossed her arms.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about here. They're just people. We should treat them as such." Dale voiced his opinion. "There are more of us than there are of them. So if you're really concerned about someone turning their back… Well, I think it's a bit foolish."

Right on cue, the screen door to the house shut as Rick and Lori were making their way over. Carl was still resting in one of Hershel's spare rooms, recovering from the gunshot wound he had received.

"What's going on?" Lori switched her gaze back and forth between everyone.

* * *

In the end, after there was plenty of discussion, Rick had decided it was okay for everyone to stay. Of course when he ran it by Hershel, the man was none too pleased. Hershel wasn't too thrilled about them being there in the first place let alone another six strangers.

The deal had been that they could stay with the group as long as they managed themselves. They were responsible for their own supplies, their food, their water, etc. And even though Daryl hadn't known Rick all that long, he knew the man would eventually cave. Those rules wouldn't stand for very long seeing as these people were pretty genuine. Rick was far too caring to just toss them to the curb.

"Hey Leah, sweetie. Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself to these nice people? I'm sure they'd love to meet you." Skyler offered. Leah hesitantly nodded. The look on her face suggested that she just wanted to be with Skyler and Daryl but she listened to her aunt, walking over towards Amy and Andrea first.

Daryl could already tell what was coming. He was already walking a little ways away from the group so that he and Skyler could have a little privacy as she followed. She bit her lip when she looked up at him.

"She's not with you, is she? She's not even alive, is she?" Skyler had tears in her eyes as she rattled the questions off.

Daryl stared back at her for a moment before he forced himself to look away. He lowered his head, "She… She didn't make it…"

Skyler stared at him, "Did she…?"

"She was bit," Daryl quickly replied, hating the words that escaped. He wasn't even sure how to explain to her what fully happened—that it was his fault, that Merle knocked him out, that he never even tried to go back. That's when he figured he'd just keep it to himself. He'd only try to explain if she specifically asked.

"All this time…" Skyler shook her head, wiping under her eyes. "All this time I was hoping she was okay. I mean for crying out loud—I lost Matt. I lost Hannah. And now it's just been confirmed that I lost my sister?" Her voice cracked towards the end, fighting back tears and trying not to cry.

Daryl gave her what he thought was a genuine apologetic look. "I'm sorry…" He frowned at her appearance. She looked like she could just collapse to the ground at any given moment. The conversation was inevitable but he didn't want to relive the pain. He certainly didn't want Skyler to have to face it. Now he couldn't even imagine having to tell Leah…

"We're all fucked over anyway, right?" Skyler sighed. "At least I have my niece and… well, you."

Daryl nodded. There wasn't much else he could really say. He glanced back towards the group and his eyes landed on Leah. She was still talking to Amy but she had managed to glance back at just the right time, catching Daryl looking at her. He forced a smile but Leah's mouth remained in a straight line. That's when he noticed she saw Skyler was crying beside him. Or at least her tears were quite evident.

"Who was the woman that was with you?"

Daryl looked back at Skyler. She seemed a little more composed now, her face wiped clean of tears. "That was Carol. She uh… lost her daughter. Brought her with me to go on a supply run so she could get some fresh air…"

"I'm guessing she locks herself in that RV?" Skyler glanced over at the vehicle.

"Yeah. That's where she's been here lately," Daryl explained.

"And does she always take off like that? She looked pissed the way she kind of stormed off…"

Daryl sighed, "I don't know. I'm gonna talk to her later." If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn the look Skyler was giving him was suggesting there was something going on between the two of them. But he didn't want to start anything by calling her on it. He had absolutely no feelings for Carol like that. He just wanted to help her.

"…Is everything okay?" Leah slowly approached them now, coming up behind Daryl.

"Yeah, don't you worry about it." Daryl rested his hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want her to be upset.

"Then why are you crying?" Leah looked to Skyler. Skyler could hardly look back at Leah, fixing her eyes on Daryl. It was obvious Skyler didn't know what to say.

"Leah…" Skyler began. She kept her voice low as she tried to think of what to say next.

"It's my mom, isn't it?" Leah asked rather bluntly, shocking both Skyler and Daryl.

"Leah," Skyler reached out for her but Leah stepped back. "Daryl did everything he could…"

Daryl bit the inside of his mouth at her words, hard enough to make him slightly jump. He _didn't_ do everything that he could have. He could have done more. He could have saved her. But he left her alone for just those few minutes… And she got bit… And Merle…

Leah shook her head, "She's dead? That's it?"

Skyler tried to reach out for her again, to pull her into a hug—something to comfort her. But Leah just backed up even more as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She turned and took off running, away from the camp and away from everyone else.

"Leah!—" Skyler went to take off after her but Daryl stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go," Daryl informed her. "I'll bring her back. Just stay here."

Skyler hesitantly nodded, tears in her eyes once again. Daryl was beginning to realize how much he really hated seeing her upset, as well as Leah. And there was nothing that he could really do to fix it.

Daryl took off in the direction he saw Leah run in. He didn't have to go far before she came into view, sitting with her back propped up against some old brick wall in the middle of nowhere. He sighed in relief as he made his way over to her. At least she didn't try to run off into the woods.

"Hey…" Daryl bent down in front of her. Leah kept her gaze down at her feet, refusing to look up at him. This was the first time he had ever been completely ignored by her and that in itself hurt.

Daryl didn't know what to say and he wasn't very good with words or trying to comfort _anyone_ for that matter. But he knew he had to do something. He couldn't stand to see Leah upset, and knowing it was his fault only made him feel that much worse.

"I thought that maybe she was here… Maybe she was inside that house…" Leah mumbled. "I don't know why. I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw you with that other woman… But I just wanted to believe she was still…" She shook her head, wiping away a few more tears that fell.

Daryl placed a hand on her knee, "I'm sorry, Leah. I truly am. And I—I don't know what to say. I wish I could change things, I do. And if I could take it all back I would." He got down on his knees now as he fished the necklace from his pocket. He looked down at it before he reached over and grabbed Leah's hand. He placed the small necklace into her palm and squeezed her hand. "It was your mom's. I'm sure you already know that, but—"

Leah immediately looked up at him as she took her hand back, looking down at the necklace. Her eyes watered even more as she turned it over in her palm. It was in that moment that she gripped it tight in her hand and fell forward, throwing her arms around Daryl in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her in return and let her cry into his shoulder. He could only hope that giving her the necklace was a good idea, that hopefully it didn't necessarily upset her even more.

Daryl rubbed her back for a couple minutes before she began to settle down again, her sobs and sniffling disappearing all together. He carefully pushed her back out at arm's length to look at her again and gently wiped away her tears.

"She loved you. And she would be proud of you for being so strong," Daryl whispered.

Leah nodded, her bottom lip beginning to tremble at his words before she pulled herself together again and blinked away the tears. "Can you help me put the necklace on?"

"I think Skyler might have better luck with that than me. My fingers are too fat," Daryl forced a small smile as he wiped away another tear from Leah's face.

Leah returned a small smile of the sorts and kept the necklace firmly grasped in her hand. "I'm ready to go back now."

Daryl got back to his feet and offered Leah a hand up. She took it and she kept a hold of his hand all the way back to the camp. Daryl didn't fight it. It felt good knowing she was there by his side.

Once they returned to the camp, everyone caught a quick glimpse of the scene. Daryl told himself right then that if anyone wanted to give him shit, he'd knock them flat on their ass.

The sky was beginning to darken as night approached. The others had a fire started up and it looked like they had already fixed something to eat. Daryl walked with Leah over towards Skyler who was near his tent. She forced a smile at the two.

"I already made both of you a plate. You need to eat," Skyler mostly focused her attention on Leah.

"We will," Leah confirmed. "But can you help me with this? Daryl said his fingers are too fat." She held the necklace up to Skyler.

Skyler took the necklace from her hand and looked at Daryl. Daryl only provided her with a small nod before he entered into the tent, giving them some space. She smiled to herself as she had Leah turn around and hold her hair up, clasping the piece of jewelry around her neck.

"Now eat," Skyler brushed her fingers through Leah's hair. "Plate's inside the tent."

Leah nodded before she entered the tent after Daryl. He already had a plate in his lap as he offered the other one to Leah. She sat down next to him and they just ate in silence, having already said what needed to be said. Daryl figured she'd just need some time before she bounced back to her normal self. It was a lot to take in all in one day.

When they had finished eating, Daryl took the plates outside and put them with the rest to be washed later. He noticed Carol must have still been in the RV while everyone else was still sitting around the fire. There was only some small conversation between everyone. Rick and Lori were still inside at Carl's bedside. Daryl hadn't managed to go check up on the kid but he assumed he'd be able to get up and start moving around about any day now. Alex, Lucas, Andrew, and Olivia seemed to keep to themselves just as they had said. They had their group separated from everyone else, a little ways away.

"How's she doing?" Skyler stopped Daryl before he returned to Leah.

"'Bout as good as she can," Daryl shrugged. "She's strong."

"Okay… I'll be back. I'm just going to go check on Olivia and the others." Skyler placed a hand on Daryl's arm in passing, a gesture he took as a small thanks.

Daryl ducked back down into the tent to see Leah lying down on her side. She looked up at him and smiled, patting the vacant space next to her. Daryl forced a smile in return and lay down beside her on his back as she curled up next to him, resting her head in the nook of his arm. She tossed an arm onto his chest and gripped his shirt in her hand.

"I missed you…" Leah whispered, shutting her eyes to rest.

Daryl managed to kiss the top of her head and smiled to himself, "I missed you too."

It didn't take long for Leah to fall asleep as Daryl closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing. Skyler had returned shortly after and lay on the other side of Leah. She smiled at Daryl when she first entered the tent, seeing Leah curled up next to him. He had planned on talking to Carol about earlier, and what exactly was going through her mind when she stormed off. But he figured he'd let it slide until tomorrow. Right now, he was exactly where he wanted to be.


	10. Find A Way

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

_**Find A Way.**_

The next morning after everyone had shared in a small breakfast of the sorts, Daryl figured he had to go talk to Carol. He left Leah and Skyler with their original group as he stepped into the RV to find her in the same place she was yesterday.

Daryl stopped in the hall where he stood yesterday feeling like everything was on repeat. He opened his mouth to say something but Carol beat him to it.

"I don't have anything to say to you." Carol barely looked in his direction.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, half out of confusion half out of anger. "What the hell is that suppose to mean? I came in here to make sure you were doin' okay, not to have you bite my head off."

"Nobody is looking for Sophia. That's what that is supposed to mean," Carol glanced over at him. "Ever since we left the highway it's like everyone just _forgot_. My baby girl is still out there all alone. And now you bring these people here? People we don't even know."

"_I_ didn't give up lookin', so you need to bring that up to everyone else. Not me. I didn't forget. And _those_ people seem to be just fine so far." Daryl folded his arms in front of his chest as he leaned against the wall.

"You have Leah now, what do you care if Sophia is alive out there or not?" Carol muttered.

Daryl scoffed, "Is that what this is about?—Leah? You think I don't care if Sophia is still out there or not because I have Leah back?"

"You said it yourself."

"And you're twisting my words," Daryl spat. "I never once said anything about not caring. And I don't see anyone else making a huge effort to come in and check on ya or even make an attempt to search for Sophia. So if you want to continue to sit in here, mopin' and cryin', then be by guest."

Carol fell silent as she tore her stare away from Daryl, looking out the window across from her. A single tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

Daryl chewed on the inside of his mouth, mentally telling himself to calm down. Apparently he still had a _lot_ of anger to vent and get rid of and he quickly learned that unleashing it on Carol was not exactly the best way to do so. But he wasn't going to apologize. Not for this. Carol just assumed that he didn't care now because he had Leah?

Daryl turned on his heels and called back to her, "Just to let you know, I'm going out. Gonna look for her. And when I come back, she'll be with me. She's gonna be just _fine_." And Daryl slammed the door to the RV behind him as he exited.

For a moment, he almost forgot about the others still right there at camp. His actions had caught their attention as they all stared back at him. He was certain they didn't hear anything he said but catching him slamming the door was bad enough. He stalked off back to his tent to retrieve his crossbow. And once he slung it over his shoulder, he caught Skyler and Leah approaching him from the corner of his eye.

"What was that all about?" Skyler asked first, glancing up at his face and down to the crossbow. "And where do you think you're going?"

"Out," Daryl fumed, ignoring her first question and blatantly answering the second.

"You're leaving? Why are you leaving?—Daryl?" Leah grabbed his arm as he tried to walk away. It was like she knew that she was his weakness because he stopped in his tracks and sighed before he turned back to face her.

"I'm goin' out to look for Sophia. Carol thinks no one is taking this seriously. If you want more detail than that, ask around." Daryl bit his tongue, realizing how harsh he still sounded. "…Sorry."

"You're going out by yourself? That's stupid! At least let me come with you or somebody. Take Andrew. He's a good shot." Skyler crossed her arms.

"No thanks. Don't need him glaring a hole in the back of my head," Daryl grumbled. "And you don't need to be going anywhere. I'll be back before you know it."

Leah stared up at him, waiting for him to look at her. And when he did, he could tell she was sad. But he couldn't stay. He had to go look for Sophia. He was a man of his word and he wasn't about to change that.

"Hey, I'll be fine. I'll be gone for a few hours at most. Definitely be back before sun down." Daryl leaned over and kissed her on top of her head. "Ain't no need to worry."

"Come on, Leah." Skyler's voice made it apparent that she was defeated. She placed a hand on Leah's back and led her back towards the others before Daryl took off for the stables. He figured if he could borrow a horse and head into the woods, he could cover a lot more ground at a faster rate. And even though he was determined to find Sophia—the faster he could return, the better.

* * *

While Leah was directed back towards the others, she couldn't help but bite her lip. She felt like she could cry. She was twelve years old and she felt like she could cry just because Daryl was leaving for a few hours. She told herself that that was just silly. He was going to go look around in the woods—how bad could that be?

But what if something _did_ happen? She had just found him—or rather he found her. She already lost her mom, she couldn't imagine losing Daryl too…

Skyler returned back to Alex, Olivia, Lucas, and Andrew. Leah decided she wanted to talk to the others though. She wanted to start learning their names and furthermore, she wanted to figure out the whole Carol/Sophia thing. She didn't understand why Daryl seemed so angry. She couldn't really recall a time when he was before now. He never yelled at her and he never yelled at her mom.

Leah looked around at the group of strangers who she had yet to fully meet. She had talked a little bit to Amy and Andrea. She learned that they were sisters and that they seemed really nice. She had spoken a little bit to Dale, having been introduced to him through the sisters. After just sitting and watching everyone interact after a while, she could almost remember everyone's names.

Leah glanced back and forth between the two men she figured were sort of like the group leaders. If she was going to ask some questions, she figured they would be her best bet. It didn't take her long to make up her mind on which one to ask either—because he seemed a lot nicer than the other guy. Or at least less intimidating.

"Hi, there." He noticed her standing by him and smiled at her. "Something I can do for you?"

"I just had some questions. Mr…" Leah waited for him to give his name.

"Rick Grimes. But you can just call me Rick," he replied. "Leah, right? You're… Daryl's daughter?"

Leah shook her head, "Not really. But he feels like my dad."

"Well, I'd say that counts," Rick smiled. "You said you had some questions?"

Leah forced a smile in return. She _wished_ Daryl was her dad. But he pretty much was, since he was the only man she ever knew to sort of take that role. "Yeah, about Carol and Sophia? What… happened?"

Rick nodded as he placed his hands on his hips. He looked like he was thinking about what to say. "We got separated back on the highway. Some walkers chased Sophia off and we couldn't find her. So we're still looking."

"Walkers? The dead things?" Leah asked. She was so used to hearing them be called 'biters', she never gave it much thought that there could be other names for them.

"That's right."

"You said you're still looking, as in… everyone? But why is it that Daryl seems to be the only one leaving?" Leah stared at Rick.

"Because he's too damn stubborn to give up when it's pretty obvious we all know what's most likely happened by now." The other man walked over, the one who seemed to be the other leader.

"Shane," Rick warned. "We've had this discussion."

Shane shook his head, "It's a shame, it is. But I think it's about time we've just faced the facts, man. That's all I'm saying." He briefly caught a glimpse of Leah before he walked away.

* * *

"Sophia!" Daryl called out for the girl after he climbed down a rather steep ravine. He sloshed through the water that settled just above his ankles as he grabbed the worn doll from off of the fallen tree. It was definitely hers and it was the main reason Daryl even climbed down in the first place. She had to be close.

He tucked the doll up and under his belt as he glanced around at his surroundings. For as long as the girl had been gone, she would've had to have stopped at some point to get a drink. All Daryl could think was that she had to be close—she wouldn't have left that dumb doll behind… Unless she got chased off by more geeks.

"_Sophia!"_ Daryl tried again, his eyes searching. There was no form of movement from anywhere around him and the only sound he could hear was that of the rushing water. He turned back to where he had come from and decided he'd go ahead and climb back up. If she followed the stream, he'd have a better view from up there.

It proved to be a fairly easy climb as his foot only slid out a couple times, easily regaining his balance and managing to pull himself up, back to land. He untied the horse from the tree and jumped back onto it. He had to admit, he was a bit terrified of the creature—which sounded absolutely ridiculous. But he shrugged it off and just kept going.

The horse spooked a couple times as birds became disturbed and flew off just in front of it. Daryl kept his attention down at the ravine though, looking for any more signs that Sophia had been there. So far he had been coming up short. The doll proved she had to have been through here, but it didn't suggest when that was or where she could have gone since.

The next thing Daryl knew was that the horse must have gotten spooked again because it started to buck up, and it managed to throw him off. He certainly wasn't prepared for that and he wasn't prepared to take a nasty tumble down the steep rock that led down into the creek.

He finally came to an abrupt stop as he hit the water with a splash. He could feel the slight burn of a cut on the side of his face just as a sharp pain flared up from his left side. He regretted looking down and flattening his shirt out to see what the problem was: he had impaled himself on one of his own damn bolts.

"Son of a bitch—" Daryl rested his head back down in the water, "Dumbass horse…"

He lay there for a moment to try and collect himself before he forced himself back to his feet. He stumbled through the water, gripping at his side and falling to his knees a couple times before he crashed to his knees on a patch of sandy dirt. He pulled his knife from its sheath and cut his sleeves off to tie together and help secure the bolt in his side. He gritted his teeth once he pulled it tight and got back to his feet.

It was just then that he heard the leaves rustle nearby. He froze as he watched them move. There was definitely something there…

"Sophia?" Daryl called out quietly, taking a few steps back. He cursed under his breath once he stepped into the water, almost tripping backwards. Out of habit, he reached for his crossbow and quickly realized he didn't have it. He tore his eyes from the rustling bush and spotted it a little ways down.

He clumsily splashed through the water before he reached it, tossing it over his shoulder and glancing back at the leaves. They were stationary now. And as he concentrated on them, he about pissed himself when a squirrel shot up out of them and scurried up the tree.

Daryl held his side as he looked back to what now resembled the climb of death. It had been an easy task to accomplish when he wasn't injured, but for whatever reason, he was beginning to think he had a challenge on his hands. But no matter what, he had to make it back to Leah. She was his main concern. And Skyler.

"Can't be that hard…" Daryl mumbled to himself as he approached the base of it. No matter where he looked, it all seemed to be just as steep. So he picked a place and started to climb.

He learned pretty quickly that no matter what kind of pep talk he gave himself, whether out loud or internally, it wasn't cutting it. The pain in his side was agonizing with each step, twist, or stretch. He lost his footing a couple times, barely catching himself. He grasped onto a tiny little tree beside him and tried to catch his breath. He didn't quite understand why it was so hard to climb. Yeah, he had a bolt threw him but that was nothing. It was probably the equivalence of being shot with a gun. Who was he kidding—gun shots had to hurt like hell so this had to be damn near close…

Daryl tried to reach for the next object to grasp onto, another tiny tree that was growing sideways into the incline of the ravine, but his hand slipped. And just like a domino effect, his foot slipped with it as he desperately clung to the first tree he had a hold of. But it wasn't good enough. He lost his grip all together and fell backwards, taking another harsh spill down the incline until he hit the sandy dirt with rather hard impact.

"Shit!—" Daryl rolled over onto his back and squeezed his eyes shut. The pain only flared up worse after the fall as he focused on his breathing. He felt slightly light headed which caused him to open his eyes and briefly look around at his surroundings again. He immediately noticed his vision wasn't quite right—everything was moving and fading out. He tried to fight against it, tried to stay conscious, but it was out of his power. Everything just faded to black.

* * *

It had been at least a few hours since Daryl left that morning. Leah had been doing her best to try and keep track. She talked with just about everyone in the group and could now confidently call them by name.

She sat with Skyler, Lori, Carl, and the Greene family at the dining room table. The young brunette woman, Maggie, had found a deck of playing cards for them to play with. Of course, Leah didn't know how to play any sort of game with a regular deck of cards and neither did Carl. So it was Carl's idea to try and make a card castle—which definitely turned out to be a lot harder than it looked.

"Watch out for that one," Carl pointed at the bottom corner of the castle. "It's about to collapse."

"But this is the tallest we've gotten it so far! It can't fall!" Leah laughed. She was actually enjoying the company of everyone. The older adults had their own discussions while Leah and Carl hung out with Beth, Jimmy, and Maggie.

"You're doing pretty good. Better than I could," Maggie smiled.

"I don't even think I could get the first row stacked if I tried," Beth admitted.

"Yeah, well that's because you're not a card castle pro…" Carl carefully set the next one on top. Leah watched as it threatened to collapse at the pressure. And just as Carl released it, the whole thing tumbled down and a few cards flew out onto the floor. "No!"

Leah giggled, "Card castle pro, huh?"

"I spoke too soon…" Carl mumbled. He scooped up the cards on the table and pushed them into a pile while Leah helped him collect the fallen ones up off of the floor.

There was a sudden loud crack like thunder off in the distance. Leah almost shot up and smacked her head into the table at the sound as she could hear all of the chairs within the room scoot across the hard floor.

"Was that a gun?" Lori spoke up first, her voice full of panic.

"I thought I told your people to put the guns away," Hershel muttered, leading the way out the front door. Lori, Maggie, Patricia, Jimmy, and Beth followed as Leah exchanged glances with Carl. Carl immediately shot up and ran after his mom and Leah looked to Skyler.

"Come on, let's go see what's going on," Skyler offered Leah a hand up. They took off after the others as Lori yelled for Rick.

"What on Earth's going on out here?" Hershel demanded.

Leah stayed close to Skyler, not sure what to expect. Her eyes searched for what the problem could be. Everyone was looking straight out in a particular direction and so that's where her eyes landed. She saw Glenn and T-Dog, then Andrea and Dale. It was only then that she finally recognized Shane and Rick… And that they had Daryl in between them.

Leah froze at the sight. All she could see was the blood that stained the entire left bottom of his shirt from his side down. And the blood had run down because his left pant leg had a thick trail of blood almost reaching his knee. She could see the visible dirt and blood on his hands and his arms, his face… And she felt sick to her stomach. She could feel the queasiness hit her just at the sight. Her first thought was that he was dead. Someone shot him. But she quickly threw that thought away. He couldn't be dead—they wouldn't be carrying him otherwise. Right?

"Oh my God—what happened?" Skyler asked as she kept firmly planted next to Leah. She got down on her knees next to her and pulled her down, facing her head away. "Don't look, Leah… Don't even think about it… He's okay. It—It just looks bad…"

Leah bit her lip and tried not to cry but Skyler's words didn't help any. She held onto her aunt and couldn't help but let a few tears fall. She listened to her though and she refused to look back at Daryl in that condition.

"He's just unconscious. I don't know what the hell happened or how he even made it back here…" Rick let his voice trail off. "Hershel—you think you can help?"

Hershel sighed as he shook his head, looking defeated. "I'll certainly do my best."

* * *

**I'd just like to take the time and say THANK YOU to my faithful reviewers: **_**NL March, MollyMayhem84, **_**and **_**FanFicGirl10**_**. You guys are seriously the best! I look forward to reading your reviews every time I post a new chapter. So thank you, thank you, thank you! Much love for the three of you! I adore you and I love the chats! xoxo**

**I would also like to thank **_**JadedTinks, Tell me you're still you, **_**and **_**Amethiste**_** as well for your reviews!**

**That being said—c'mon you silent readers! ****I want to hear from you!**


	11. Temporary Home

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I'm beginning to feel like I ramble way too much. These chapters are becoming longer and longer without me even realizing it. Oh well… Hopefully y'all enjoy it.

* * *

_**Temporary Home.**_

When Daryl came to, it took him a moment to realize where he was and what had happened. He was lying on his back staring up at a white ceiling. His left side throbbed immensely and he could feel a burning pain near his left temple.

"Daryl?—Daryl?"

Daryl recognized the voice to be Rick's as he glanced over at him. He was on his knees next to the side of the bed Daryl was laying on. When his eyes met his, Rick looked relieved. Even though Daryl was finally able to recall everything—impaling himself on a bolt, getting shot by Andrea, Rick and Shane dragging him back to Hershel's place—he was still confused by the look Rick was giving him. Was he worried about him?...

"Good, you're awake. You mind rolling to your side. I'll be able to stitch your wound better. Or should I say _wounds_…"

Daryl noticed Hershel was standing by his left side. He didn't say anymore and Daryl wasn't much in the mood to argue or deny the help so he listened to the old man, doing what he was told. The movement sent some shooting pains threw his side as he bit the inside of his cheek unnoticed. It wasn't until then that he noticed he didn't have a shirt on.

"What the hell's this? Where's my shirt?" Daryl shot a glare in Rick's direction since he was conveniently straight ahead of him now. He would have snapped at Hershel beings that he was the one doing the medical work, but he didn't want to move anymore than he had to at the moment.

"I cut what was left of your shirt off so that I could access your wounds. Please don't tell me you're upset over a shirt?" Hershel's voice was heavy enough with sarcasm that Daryl didn't need to see his face to read it. He wasn't sure if he should take that as an insult or a joke.

"Whatever…" Daryl muttered, closing his eyes.

"Hey, Daryl?" Rick's voice hit him again. Could he not see that he had just closed his eyes?

"What?" Daryl grumbled, opening one of his eyes to look back at the man.

"I was hoping you might be up for talking," Rick started. "You found Sophia's doll?"

Daryl opened both of his eyes now and stared back at Rick, trying to read his face. He still looked concerned and he was still on his knees leaning against the bed. But Rick scooped down for a moment, picking something up off the floor and sprawling it out across the bed. It was a map of the surrounding area—the same map they had been using to try and mark the places they had already searched.

"Found it washed up in the creek bed about there," Daryl pointed to a place, instantly recognizing the direction and layout of the map in front of him at a half awkward angle. "Figured she had to be close but didn't see any other sign of her."

"Are you sure it was there exactly?" Rick rested his finger on the place Daryl had just pointed out. Now _that_ Daryl took to offense. Rick was either trying to imply he didn't know what the hell he was talking about when it came to maps or he was questioning his well-being after everything he'd been through in just the past few hours.

Daryl was about to come back with a sarcastic, somewhat witty, remark to that before he felt a sharp prick in his left side. He slightly flinched and bit his tongue to hold back a cuss word or two. Hershel had been cleaning the wound up until then. Now he was apparently beginning to stitch it up, the cold needle piercing through his skin unexpectedly.

"Try to hold still. And while you're at it, hold this to your temple and keep pressure on it. It'll stop the bleeding a bit sooner. I'll get around to it once I finish with your side."

"Awfully demanding, don't ya think?" Daryl meant it more as a joke as he grabbed the white washcloth from Hershel's hand that dangled in front of his face. So much for it being white—it certainly wasn't going to be the same color afterwards. "And a warning next time would be nice."

"Figured if you were busy talking to Rick, you wouldn't even notice," Hershel replied. Daryl could feel him begin to work on the stitches once again as he pressed the washcloth to his temple. He couldn't help but slightly twitch at the pain he was feeling in his side and head simultaneously.

"So, let me get this straight. You're saying there was no sign of her other than that doll?"

Daryl just now noticed Shane was sitting in a chair against the wall, a little ways behind Rick and off to the side. Had he been there the whole time, and how in the hell had he not seen him until now? Maybe he was more out of it than he thought. Maybe Rick did have a reason to double check on the map situation.

"Couldn't find no tracks or anything. But she could have walked down the stream itself," Daryl replied.

"Or that doll could have just gone down the stream by itself and you have no idea what you're talking about. The fact that you found it doesn't make the grid any smaller." Shane leaned forward onto his knees and ran a hand over the short stubble of hair on his head.

Daryl shook his head as he recalled exactly how he found it. "No, it was on top of a fallen tree. Like it had been placed there. That's no coincidence." He let the snide remark from Shane slide.

Rick nodded, "So that does give us a smaller grid to work with then." Rick glanced back at Shane at his words before turning back to face Daryl. "I'll be sure to pass the word along to the others. We'll get the search under way and start planning things out in the meantime."

Daryl gave him a nod in return as he got back to his feet and folded the map back up. Shane got up from the chair as well, both of them obviously getting ready to finally leave.

"How's he doing?" Rick directed the question at Hershel as it felt like he was just finishing up on the entry wound through his back.

"Not too bad. No telling what kind of damage is done internally…" Hershel paused. "I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics this quickly. It's a wonder you people are still alive."

Daryl closed his eyes and he couldn't help but smile a little bit at that. Hershel had it spot on. This group was a disaster. First it was the quarry. Then the CDC. Then they lost Sophia, Carl got shot, and T-Dog sliced his arm open on a damn car door. Now Daryl had to add himself to the list with his injuries. And Hershel had been the one to help each and every one of them, with Patricia's assistance. The old man was probably sick of them.

"I can't thank you enough for all of your help, Hershel. Just know that I really appreciate it, as well as the others." Rick left the room with Shane as he closed the door behind him.

It was silent for a moment and Daryl was close to drifting off to sleep. He could feel Hershel start to work on the stitching up the exit wound now, but since he was already used to the sharp prick and tug of the thread, it didn't bother him nearly as much. In fact, the only thing that bothered him was when Hershel's hands seemed to brush against his bare skin. He just didn't like to be touched. It always gave him the instinct to just whirl around and throw a punch in defense. It was probably a good thing he was well conscious at the time because he couldn't imagine that going over too well if he nailed Hershel in the jaw.

The next thing Daryl knew was that he could feel someone grab a hold of his left hand on his temple, making him jerk his hand back and out of their grasp, his eyes snapping back open. He was still in the same room with the same wallpaper decorated on the walls when he realized it had to have been Hershel.

"Just need to see about the damage done to your temple. You're lucky the bullet just barely grazed you. It could have been a lot worse."

"There's only two ways I'm seeing it," Daryl muttered. _The situation I'm currently in, or dead._

Hershel began to wind some gauze around Daryl's head, covering the wound. "Now before you even say anything, because I know you will, it needs to be covered to prevent any sort of infection. This is something I can't stitch myself and it will just need to heal up a bit on its own before I can do anything."

Daryl grinned. Hershel was pretty smart—he knew Daryl was going to protest before he could even start in on it. Still didn't make matters any better having his head mummified.

"Have you seen Leah?" Daryl asked, feeling awkward, as though he were talking to the wall in front of him as he still lay on his right side facing away from Hershel. He would have asked if she knew what happened but he figured that was a stupid question. Of course Leah would have been well aware. The whole damn group must have been well aware.

"The little girl?" Hershel paused. "She's not far. I imagine Maggie and Beth probably have her waiting in the dining room. Same for her mother."

Daryl cringed, "Skyler's her aunt."

"My apologies." Daryl could hear a few clinks of different utensils being thrown into a pan on the bedside table before Hershel continued, "I can send them in now if you'd like."

"Yeah, thanks…" Daryl partially mumbled. He meant to say thank you for taking the time to actually stitch him up but alas, he was never too great with words, thank yous, and apologies. Otherwise, he probably would have apologized for being an inconvenience.

Daryl thought about drifting off again, or rather, just resting his eyes until Leah and Skyler showed up. But he remembered that he didn't have a damn shirt. He managed to sit up a bit and wrestle with the light weight blanket he was laying on before he was able to pull it up and over himself. His freshly stitched side covered with gauze throbbed from the movement but he wasn't about to let Skyler or Leah see him without something covering his scars.

He rolled back over onto his right side to try and ease the pain just as he heard the door to the room open with a slight creak. He didn't hear any footsteps though.

"I'm awake," Daryl declared, letting whoever it was know. He assumed it was Leah and Skyler, and he was right.

Leah stood where he could see her, clutching the necklace around her neck. He forced a smile at her, "Well… I told ya I'd come back."

"You also said you'd be fine," Skyler sat on the edge of the bed. She looked upset—definitely more sad than angry. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Daryl slightly shrugged with his left shoulder. "How are you two? Leah?"

Leah shrugged, "Okay, I guess. I was worried about you…"

Skyler patted the space next to her on the bed as Leah climbed up beside her. She began to work her hands through her hair as a makeshift hairbrush before she began to separate the long locks of golden brown into sections. She focused solely on Leah's hair as she began to twist the strands into a loose braid over her shoulder.

"You know… Seeing you return covered in blood wasn't exactly the way either of us planned on seeing you. You scared us," Skyler spoke out loud as she continued to braid Leah's hair.

"Wasn't exactly the way I planned on returning either," Daryl responded.

"You should have listened to me. I told you not to go off by yourself."

"Wouldn't a mattered anyway. Still would have happened."

"You don't know that. What would you have done if biters or walkers—whatever you call them—showed up?"

"I was just fine…" Daryl chewed on the inside of his mouth again, recalling the two walkers he'd had a close call with earlier. He had woken up to one chewing on his boot and just barely managed to kill it with a damn stick, giving him enough time to pull the bolt out of his side and shoot the next one. He figured he'd let that bit of information be his little secret.

"You're very stubborn," Leah interrupted their bickering, staring at Daryl.

"Yes, he is. Thank you, Leah," Skyler smiled. "Two against one."

Daryl stuck his tongue out at them as Leah imitated him, giggling.

* * *

Skyler didn't stay too long. She claimed she was going to help the others prepare an actual meal for dinner. Daryl couldn't imagine everyone sitting around at a table eating. There were some who didn't get along with others and just way too many people to even try cramming all in one place. Skyler had offered Leah to come along and help but Leah stayed with Daryl, where she was now curled up on the bed beside him sleeping.

It had been at least a few hours since Hershel had fixed him up. He'd stopped by once just to check in before carrying on his way. Rick had also checked in on him too, though he didn't say too much. There was an aroma of food that now hung in the air making Daryl very aware of how hungry he actually was. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and that wasn't much. Though he wasn't really hungry until just now, the smell almost teasing him.

There was a light knock on the door just then, making Daryl open his eyes and listen for anymore sounds. He figured it had to be Skyler again—maybe to check in on him and Leah or maybe to tell Leah to go eat. When Daryl thought about it, it was a simple mistake to think that Skyler was her mom… They looked remotely alike and Skyler was always looking out for her.

The door creaked open now as Daryl could hear a couple footsteps lead over to the nightstand next to the bed behind him. He had come to the conclusion it was definitely a woman due to the quietness of the footsteps. He could hear something smooth slide onto the nightstand but he didn't bother to budge.

"Daryl?..." It was Carol's voice that called his name, making him slightly turn to catch a glimpse of her just behind him.

"What?" Daryl situated himself back to laying on his right side, staring at Leah's sleeping form next to him. He certainly wasn't in the mood to talk to her of all people. He told her he was coming back with Sophia and that she'd be fine, which both were lies. He had failed his own words.

"I brought you and Leah some dinner. Skyler said you hadn't eaten yet…" Carol's voice sounded so small. It was almost like she was afraid of him or something, like a mouse trying to make peace with a cat.

"Thanks," Daryl mumbled. He shut his eyes, waiting for her to leave the room.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier," Carol's voice trailed off. "I didn't mean to be so angry towards you. I'm sorry for taking it out on you. I know you've been trying to find Sophia… I just feel like all of this is my fault—for pushing you to go look…"

"Ain't your fault. Just my dumb luck. I wanted to go out and look for her, you didn't make me," Daryl replied. "…I know what it feels like."

"I suppose you do," Carol paused. "Thank you for everything you've done. I do appreciate it."

Daryl didn't say another word as he listened for her footsteps to exit the room. He realized that maybe he should have made an effort to turn around and face her while they talked but oh well. The conversation was over now, thankfully.

He turned back to see a tray on the nightstand that held two plates of food and two glasses of water. A part of him couldn't help but wonder who had initially been the one to remember him and Leah.

As he turned back to face Leah once again, he realized he didn't want to wake her up. She looked so peaceful sleeping and it was probably the best she'd slept since the world went to shit. They were lying in an actual bed, not on the cold hard ground outside. But he knew he had to wake her because she needed to eat too.

Daryl carefully brushed her bangs back and out of her face, the tips of his fingers just barely touching her forehead as she stirred awake. He smiled at her as she blinked a few times to refocus her sleepy eyes.

"You need to eat something. Carol brought some food in," Daryl explained. He forced himself to sit up, tossing his pillow behind his back to prop himself up against the headboard. Now would have been a good time to have a shirt…

"Dinner in bed?" Leah sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"I guess so," Daryl shrugged.

Leah crawled off of the bed and ran around to the other side where the food was and passed a plate to Daryl. "Since I know you can't reach it from there and you don't need to be up and moving around."

Daryl smiled, "We'll see how long that lasts."

Leah made her way back around the bed with her own plate and sat up against the headboard beside him. She set the plate in her lap and stabbed the fork into a piece of chicken, picking the piece of meat apart into smaller portions. "I hope we get to stay here. It's really nice having an actual house again. And all of the friendly people."

"Yeah," Daryl agreed with Leah for her sake. He wasn't a big 'people person'. If it were up to him, he'd rather be off on his own with her and Skyler… Though the number of people around them provided safety. "I don't see why we'd ever have to leave. I'm sure Hershel will understand."

"I hope so. Beth and Maggie are awesome. I hung out with them and Carl while you were gone," Leah admitted. "All else fails, I'll sweet talk Hershel into letting us stay."

Daryl almost choked on his food at that comment. "_Sweet_ talk? Do I need to have a word with Beth or Maggie? 'Cuz I highly doubt you got that from Carl."

Leah laughed, "No! I'm just saying! I really want to stay here and maybe if I could convince him—"

"Let's just drop it. And no more 'sweet talk'. Everything'll work out." Daryl couldn't help but smile a bit.

After they both finished eating and Leah volunteered to run the plates to the kitchen, Daryl laid back down on his right side. He tucked the pillow back under his head and sighed, shutting his eyes. The pain in his side was beginning to flare up again, which he guessed had to be from moving the little bit that he did. If this was how it was going to be for a while he felt like he was going to go insane. He couldn't stand not being able to get up on his own freewill and just do something. There was no way he was going to rely on anyone to help him—not now, not ever.

"Do you want me to get Hershel?"

Daryl snapped his eyes open to see Leah standing in front of him beside the bed. Damn, she was quiet. He didn't even hear her come back into the room. "…What?"

"You looked like you were in pain," Leah bit her lip, slightly frowning.

Daryl shook his head, "I'm fine."

"Stubborn…" Leah muttered, crawling back onto the bed.

"Punk," Daryl reached out and poked her nose, receiving a small giggle.

Leah had curled up next to him and that was the last thing he remembered. The pain and exhaustion had finally caught up with him as he drifted off to sleep.


	12. Waiting

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I realize I've been updating almost every day for the past few days. I don't know if I'll be able to keep that up or not but I've enjoyed doing so. The story is just kind of flowing a lot easier now that I have my OCs.

* * *

_**Waiting.**_

When Leah woke up, she was shocked to see that it was already morning. The sunlight peaked through the blinds covering the single window across from the foot of the bed, the rays casting lines on the hardwood floor. She felt like she had just drifted off to sleep twenty minutes ago though she felt well rested. The soft bed was probably one reason for that.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes before she glanced over towards Daryl. She was a bit surprised to see that he was still sleeping. He had the blanket pulled over his shoulder and half covering his face. She was glad to see him still asleep though because he obviously needed it.

Leah carefully slid off of the bed and tiptoed across the room. When she reached the door, she stared at it, contemplating on how she was going to leave without waking Daryl. The door had a creak to it and Leah was already well aware of that. She slowly turned the doorknob and gently pulled the door open, easing it little by little. It still let out a small squeak, making her look back towards Daryl. She knew she had been successful because he didn't move an inch.

Leah slipped out of the room completely now and pulled the door shut to a crack. She headed out towards the dining room and ran into Hershel drinking a cup of what she presumed to be coffee, seated at the table. She smiled and gave him a small wave, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Hershel bowed his head in a nod. "How is everything?"

Leah shrugged, "Good. Daryl's still asleep. I was able to sneak out without waking him. I was going to go get some clothes for him to change into for when he wakes up."

"That's probably a good idea and I'm sure he'll appreciate that." Hershel took a sip of his coffee. He glanced down at the table before looking back up at her. "I'd usually be reading the newspaper by this time but seeing how the world has come to an end, I guess the only news is whatever we make ourselves."

Leah smiled, "I guess so." She lingered a moment, not wanting to seem rude, before she headed out the front door. She closed the screen door behind her herself so that it didn't slam shut. She wanted to respect Hershel's property and she didn't want to possibly wake anyone. She had no clue what time it was but she could tell it was pretty early. The sun was still coming up over the horizon with a bit of a misty fog to the air.

As she approached the campsite among the patch of trees, she could tell it looked like everyone was up and moving. She immediately spotted Carl and his family. It was the first night that he had been back outside since being shot. Leah thought that sounded terrifying but Carl seemed pretty tough. She was glad he was doing okay. He was the only other kid, same age and everything. He gave her someone to at least hang out with when she didn't want to be stuck with all the adults.

"Hey, Leah," Glenn greeted her, smiling. "How's… Daryl?"

"He's okay. Still sleeping as far as I know," Leah replied.

"That's good. We've all been kind of worried… But we figured no news was good news." Glenn readjusted the baseball cap on his head. "But that's good. Glad to hear."

Leah smiled at him before she headed for Daryl's tent. She climbed in and started digging through everything before she found some clean clothes for him to change into. She hugged the clothes to her chest as she crawled back out and into the open. She noticed Lori, Skyler, Amy, and Olivia were hanging up laundry on a line they had secured stretching from tree to tree.

Skyler smiled at her. She noticed the clothes in her hands and must have realized what she was going to do. "When you come back out here, I'll get you something for breakfast."

Leah nodded and with that, she headed back inside. She passed Maggie and Patricia who were now awake and in the kitchen, Hershel was still seated at the table. Leah made it to the bedroom where Daryl was and slowly snuck back in. He still hadn't moved as she crept across the floor and laid the clothes on the foot of the bed. As she stared down at the shirt she recalled last night.

When Daryl had sat up, she could see a few scars across his chest. It was the first time that she had ever really seen him shirtless—not that she was purposely trying to stare but the scars caught her attention. She tried to ignore them after she saw them. She didn't want to be caught staring and she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. She wondered what they could have been from but decided to try and forget about it all together. She tiptoed her way back out of the room and managed to pull the door closed with minimal sound.

When Leah had returned to the camp, she realized they were setting up to go out and look for Sophia. It was good to know that everyone was going to step up now. Rick had made it clear that no one was to go out alone again—not after what happened to Daryl. She wished he could have enforced that rule yesterday. Glenn paired up with T-Dog and they headed off into the woods. Rick went with Shane in another direction towards the woods. Dale and Andrea were keeping watch. When Leah learned that Andrea was the one who had shot Daryl, she was pissed at her. She didn't understand how Andrea could mistake Daryl for a walker… even though he was pretty messed up yesterday. It still wasn't an excuse.

"Leah!" Carl called out to her, waving his arm in the air to get her attention. "Come on! Come check this out!"

Leah decided to go ahead and follow him. He seemed pretty excited over something and she figured any type of excitement nowadays was worth something. He stopped a little past the RV and bent down in the grass. Leah joined him, bending down beside him to try and see what it was he was looking at.

"Whoa—is that a caterpillar?" Leah bent down even closer to look at it. She couldn't believe Carl had spotted the fuzzy little creature crawling through the tall grass.

"Yeah! I've never really seen one this close before," Carl admitted.

The caterpillar inched along. It looked like it was black with a thick solid orange-ish brown colored band around its middle. Leah felt like she had seen one before when she was younger but she couldn't really remember. All she knew was that she wanted to pick it up and pet up, but she was afraid that maybe it was poisonous or something. Ever since her mom had told her about different types of insects, spiders specifically, she had been rather terrified of anything with more than four legs.

"That's a woolly bear caterpillar you got there."

Leah and Carl glanced up to see Dale leaning over them. He smiled as he bent down in front of them to join in. He placed his hand down in front of the caterpillar and allowed it to crawl onto him.

"It doesn't bite?" Carl asked.

"This little guy? No," Dale shook his head. "Harmless as a butterfly. There's an old folktale that says these little guys can predict the weather…"

"A caterpillar can predict the weather?" Leah raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Well, the old legend said it had something to do with these stripes. See how there's more black then there is brown? It's said that that means we're expecting a harsh winter. Of course, there's no real proof that it's accurate or anything. It usually tells more about the previous year," Dale explained.

Leah smiled as she watched it begin to crawl up Dale's arm. He scooped it up with his other hand and passed it to Carl. Carl hesitated at first but grinned from ear to ear once its little legs started working their way across his hand.

"That's so neat. How do you know about them?" Leah looked back at Dale.

"Me? I'm old. I just know all sorts of random things," Dale smiled. "But if that's the legend, let's hope it's wrong. I don't know about you but I don't think I want a harsh winter on top of walkers."

* * *

When Daryl woke up, he quickly realized he was alone. He was definitely surprised he had slept in. That was something he hardly ever did—even before all of this. He could hear faint voices from outside in the distance telling him that everyone else was already awake.

He managed to roll over onto his back, sit up, and throw his legs over the side of the bed. The pain in his side wasn't too unbearable considering he'd had a bolt pierced through him less than 24 hours ago. He reached up to find where to tear the gauze off of his head and pulled it off slowly, making sure it didn't stick to the wound and rip off any scab that might have formed. The last thing he needed was to walk back out to the camp and still have his head wrapped up.

Daryl got back on his feet and grinned, happy to even be on his feet again. He noticed there was a clean shirt and a pair of pants folded up at the end of the bed before he gathered them up and quickly changed into them. Just as he was fastening the last few buttons on his shirt, there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah," Daryl called out, signaling the okay for whoever it was to enter.

Hershel opened the door and took a couple steps in. If Daryl didn't know any better, he could have sworn he saw a slight frown on the old man's face.

"I was going to see how you were doing, but I'm going to guess you're doing just fine."

"Never better," Daryl muttered.

"Just please try to take it easy. With an injury like that, you really shouldn't even be up and moving. If you pull those stitches out… Well, let's just say I'm not going to be too happy and I can imagine you won't be either," Hershel warned.

"I'm fine. Ain't nothing to worry about. I've had stitches before, I know how they work." Daryl paused, "…Thank you though." He figured now was as good a time if any. He'd need to brush up on his thank yous if he was going to be stuck with these people.

Daryl headed back outside and towards the camp. He noticed a few people were missing and who was left seemed to be scattered about. He spotted Alex and Olivia and figured they were his best bet.

"Where's Leah and Skyler?" he approached them, slightly breaking up their little conversation.

"Well, good morning to you too," Alex joked.

"Hey—glad to see you're up and doing okay," Olivia smiled.

Daryl didn't say anymore. He just waited for an answer, which they quickly got from the look he was giving them.

"I think Leah's with Carl. Something about a caterpillar? I don't know…" Alex shrugged.

"Skyler's with Lori and Carol in the RV. I guess they're having some girl talk that I wasn't invited to," Olivia explained.

"The others went looking for Sophia. They should probably be back soon though," Alex added.

Daryl nodded, "Alright. Good to know." He turned on his heels and walked over towards his tent. If everyone was as busy as they sounded, then now was the perfect time for him to try and move their tent. He didn't want to be so close to everyone. He wanted some space and this seemed like the perfect way to get it. When he thought about it, he liked the convenience of being away from everyone and having his own small fire like he had back at the quarry.

"Uhh—what exactly are you doing? Should you even be up?"

Daryl glanced back to see Skyler approaching him. Apparently girl talk was already over.

"Well, I am. Give me a hand with this," Daryl motioned towards the tent.

"And what exactly are you doing with our tent?" Skyler walked over in front of him.

"Moving it, what's it look like? I want some privacy—away from everyone else."

"What's wrong with where it's at?" Skyler narrowed her eyes. "You don't need to be up and walking around, much less hauling the tent off."

"Are you gonna help me or not? I'll just ask Alex otherwise," Daryl ignored her.

Skyler instantly caved, and with her help he was able to move the tent and get everything resituated far enough away from everyone that it no longer felt as suffocating. Personally, he didn't want everyone hassling him about what he should or shouldn't do, or how he was feeling, or making dumb comments. It seemed like Skyler quickly got the memo because she didn't say another word to him afterwards, walking off.

Daryl rubbed his face, making sure he didn't hit the spot where the bullet grazed his temple. And just like it was on cue, Andrea was walking over towards him. Even she looked like she was frowning. What was with people today?

"Hey… how are you feeling?" Andrea started.

"'Bout as good as I look," Daryl muttered.

Andrea forced a smile, "Look… I just wanted to apologize. I feel like shit…"

"Yeah, you and me both," Daryl replied. "But don't worry about it… You were lookin' out for the group. We're good."

"You sure?" Andrea questioned. "That easy?"

"What? You want me to keep it against you? Tell you to keep your guard up 'cause I might attack you when you least expect it?" Daryl scoffed. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay…" Andrea nodded. "Thanks." She began to walk away but Daryl called out to her.

"Hey—you shoot me again, you best pray I'm dead." This got a smile from Andrea as she continued to walk back to the RV.

Daryl already felt tired just from walking around and moving all of their stuff, but he wouldn't admit that to anyone. He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about trying to locate where exactly Leah had taken off to with Carl. Carl… He'd have to keep an eye on that kid. He figured they were right about at that age where they'd start to become curious…

Just as he looked over though, he could see T-Dog, Shane, and Rick heading back. He spotted Glenn walking up the stairs to the porch to meet Maggie. Apparently everyone was wanting to make a move.

"Glad to see you back on your feet," Rick spoke as he passed Daryl. Daryl only grunted in response. T-Dog gave him a grin as he passed too, going to join the others. But Shane slowed down. He came to a halt just in front of Daryl, his hands on his hips as usual with a smug look on his face.

"Was thinking about taking some of the group out to practice shooting. Thought I'd run the offer by ya for Skyler and Leah." Shane tilted his head back slightly to make himself have to look down at Daryl, as if it made him feel like he was superior because he used to be a cop.

Daryl raised an eyebrow. That certainly wasn't what he was expecting to hear from Shane's mouth. Regardless, he wanted nothing to do with him. And he definitely didn't want Leah or Skyler around him. "I'll teach 'em myself."

"You sure about that? I'm a trained professional. I know how to handle a gun properly. I could really teach them how to feel safe." Shane badgered on.

"I said I'll teach 'em myself," Daryl shot back at him, narrowing his eyes. Shane had become one man that Daryl learned to keep away from. The crazy looks he seemed to give Rick, killing Otis, the secrecy with Lori, and something was up with him and Andrea. There was probably even more but Daryl couldn't rack his brain to think of them right now. He didn't need someone to tell him that Shane was a little off—he could just read it. Daryl was pretty good at observing things and that included people.

"Fine. Whatever, man. Suit yourself. Just thought I would offer. Hate to see any of the women or kids 'round here not know what they're doing or how to protect themselves…" Shane raised an eyebrow as if he were waiting for Daryl to give him the okay. He should have known better than that.

"You done?" Daryl folded his arms in front of his chest.

Shane raised his hands in the air, "Alright, alright. I'm just saying it would be a damn shame if something happened… with you being injured and all."

Daryl was about to start yelling at Shane to mind his own damn business but Leah had joined his side, making him bite his tongue and swallow his words. It was probably for the better. If things would have kept going like they were, he probably would have let Shane have it—he would have called him out on everything, and Daryl didn't see how that could end well. So really, he was thankful Leah interrupted them.

"What's going on? Something about guns?" Leah glanced back and forth between the two of them.

"We'll talk later. C'mon," Daryl shot Shane one last glare before he placed a hand on Leah's back and directed her away from him. Shane finally took the hint and left.

"What was Shane talking about?" Leah tried again, looking up at him.

"Later," Daryl dismissed the topic of Shane. He didn't want to see him nor talk about him right now. "What were you up to with Carl?"

This seemed to hit the right spot as Leah lit up, grinning. "Carl found a caterpillar. Dale told us it was a woolly bear caterpillar. It was neat. And he told us some old legend about its stripes and winter."

"Stripes and winter? Interesting…" Daryl scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah. I got to hold it and everything. Dale said they turn into moths. We were going to find a little box to keep it in but we decided to just go ahead and let him run free."

Daryl nodded, "That's probably for the best."


	13. Issues

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Reviews make me smile.

* * *

_**Issues.**_

The next morning seemed just like any other with everyone finally back at the camp. Carl was fully recovered for the most part and Daryl… well, he just fought through it. But now everyone was seated around the camp and eating breakfast, just hoping for a nice day for once.

Daryl stabbed at the mess of scrambled eggs on his plate. It beat having to eat whatever they could round up from a can or something in town. Daryl hadn't been able to go out hunting for quite some time now, and even if he could it still wasn't a guarantee that he'd even find anything. Glenn had gone on a couple runs with Maggie into town and they were able to bring back a few things. The group was able to get some eggs from Hershel in a trade for helping out around the farm. Apparently that was once Otis' job. Lori had taken Carl and Leah a couple times to feed the chickens while Shane and T-Dog did most of the wood splitting, preparing for winter. It was the one thing everyone dreaded the most. Perhaps that's why they were desperate to stay with Hershel and his family. They needed his house if they were going to make it through the winter and the farm was just an added bonus.

"Why are there so many different names for the way an egg can be cooked?" Leah blurted as she took a bite.

"What do you mean?" Skyler spoke, beating Daryl to a response.

"Like… scrambled, sunny side up, over easy, hard boiled, poached? But yet it's all still an egg."

"Poached eggs are disgusting," Olivia made a face. "Or at least they look disgusting. All rubbery looking… Blech!"

Skyler smiled at Olivia's remark before answering Leah. "I don't know? I guess someone just thought it would be a good idea."

"Or they were just bored, had nothing better to do," Daryl muttered.

Leah giggled, "I guess so. It's just weird."

"Can't forget deviled eggs. Man, were those things good. If they were made right anyway," T-Dog commented with a smirk.

Skyler couldn't help but laugh now, "Since we're all talking about egg preferences, I think I'd have to stick with over easy. Then you don't have to worry about the yolk running all over the place."

Alex shook his head, "You're crazy! Sunny side up is the best _because_ of the yolk. You can dip your toast and shit into it."

Daryl set his plate down on his lap and rubbing his face, sighing. "Why the hell are we talking about eggs?" He paused, trying to hold back a small grin, "It's obvious the best part of any breakfast is bacon."

Alex and T-Dog chuckled as Alex shook his finger at Daryl. "You know what's up. It's not a complete breakfast unless you have bacon, eggs, and toast."

"Aw, come on, guys… You're making me even hungrier over here—for stuff we don't and probably will never have!" Andrea piped in now. Amy was seated beside her with Lucas on the other side of Amy. They all three looked over in their direction, Lucas trying to hold back a grin as well.

"I want pancakes," Carl mumbled. "Or French toast. Cinnamon rolls…"

Carl's comment had half of the group groaning over foods that they would probably never have again. It seemed like a bit of a harsh reality check but at least it kept the group from an awkward silence for a while.

"Alright, enough with the breakfast talk. We should be thankful for what Hershel has provided us with. Without his farm, we wouldn't have half of the luxuries we have now," Rick spoke up.

"Luxuries…" Andrea shook her head, sighing. "What a joke…"

"This is better than what we had before. And I don't know about you guys, but I'm awfully thankful for something that's actually fresh." Lori set her empty plate down on the ground in front of her as she brushed off her lap.

"Amen to that," Andrew raised his fork before taking another bite.

The group fell silent again after that. The empty plates were beginning to stack up and it seemed as though everyone would be on their way to start off the day doing whatever needed to be done. But Daryl noticed Glenn had taken a stand and he was awkwardly pacing back and forth a bit, fidgeting with the baseball cap. The Asian glanced over at Dale, receiving a nod of some sort of approval.

"Uh, guys…" Glenn began. His voice was rather quiet, just loud enough to be heard from everyone. "So… the barn's full of walkers."

That certainly grabbed everyone's attention.

Skyler and Leah exchanged glances before looking to Daryl. Shane tensed up as he stared Glenn down. Rick and Lori jumped to their feet with Carl following their lead. Andrea, Carol, T-Dog—everyone started to get up now, abandoning the camp and walking towards the barn. Shane took the lead as he approached the barn door, peering in through a crack to see if Glenn was telling the truth.

"You can't tell me you're alright with this," Shane turned back around to face everyone, directing his words at Rick.

"I'm not, but this is Hershel's property and we're guests here, so we _will_ respect that," Rick shot back.

"Look, man. We've been talking about Fort Benning for a long time—" Shane started.

"We _can't _go!" Rick raised his voice over Shane's.

"Why, Rick? Why?" Shane paced back and forth.

"Because my daughter is still out there," Carol stepped forward, folding her arms in front of her and pulling her light weight sweater tighter.

Shane rubbed his face, clearly agitated. "I think it's about time we've just considered the other possibilities—"

"We're close to finding her," Daryl stepped forward now. "I just found her damn doll!"

Shane laughed, "Yeah, you found a _doll_, Daryl. That's what you did. We're no closer to finding her than we were that first day."

"You don't know what the hell you're talkin' about!" Daryl glared at him, taking another couple steps forward. He felt Skyler place a hand on his arm and he quickly shrugged her away without even a glance.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said. Been thinking it for a long time now but it's about time we've all faced it!" Shane returned a glare back at Daryl.

"Shane—" Rick warned. "We're not leaving Sophia behind. So just drop it."

But Rick's words went right over Shane's head as he kept going. He paced back and forth getting worked up over the situation, almost laughing at what he thought was ridiculous. It was obvious the whole group was against him because no one spoke up to take his side.

"Let me tell you something… If she saw you out there, all covered in blood and limping, she'd have run in the other direction! For the same reason Andrea took a shot at you!"

"At least you have the decency of telling the truth on that one," Daryl spat, narrowing his eyes. He could tell his comment confused everyone else but Shane knew. Shane was very well aware of what Daryl meant. At least he wasn't _that_ stupid.

"Wait, what's going on?" Amy questioned, searching everyone's face for an answer.

"…Shane?" Lori took a step forward now, her eyes wide with what seemed to be fear.

"Enough," Rick spoke up. "We'll just talk to Hershel, see if we can't get everything situated—"

"What'd you say to me?" Shane closed the gap between him and Daryl, glaring down at him.

"I think you heard me jus' fine." Daryl stood his ground, his words bitter.

And that was all it took to push Shane over the edge—just those few words and he had lost it. Daryl could see Shane clench his right hand into a fist and he had already expected him try and punch him, most likely in the face. But that's where Daryl was wrong.

Shane's fist connected with Daryl's left side, hitting him right where he had impaled himself on that damn bolt. Daryl didn't even take the time to recoil or double over with the pain it shot through him because his anger took over like fucking auto pilot. He threw his fist back at Shane, connecting with his jaw, before they both just started to keep at it throwing punch after punch.

"Shane!—_Shane!_ Stop!"

"Shane, enough!"

"Daryl—"

"Guys, knock it off!"

"ENOUGH!" Rick yelled over everything, stepping between them and throwing his hands out to push both men back by their chests. Lori, T-Dog, and Andrea held Shane back as Daryl noticed Skyler, Carol, and Glenn held him back.

Daryl shrugged everyone off of him, keeping a glare trained on Shane. He realized he was breathing fairly heavy just from the small brawl, his side screaming with a pain that felt like he had just been skewered once again. The son of a bitch took a cheap shot—he definitely got two good punches in, directly to his side. Daryl certainly felt the impact of those punches.

"Let me talk to Hershel!" Rick started back up again. "I'll figure this out."

"Man, what're you gonna figure out!" Shane yelled, pacing again.

Daryl watched Shane's movement and actions. He was almost expecting him to blow up on Rick now. Whatever it was that Rick had said or done to Shane, it must not have exceeded the limit that Shane could tolerate.

Daryl placed a hand over his wound, involuntarily flinching in pain at the slight touch. He cursed under his breath when he realized he could feel the warm crimson liquid that had already saturated his shirt.

"Daryl?—" Skyler immediately stepped in front of him, grabbing his arm and moving his hand out of the way to reveal the blood. This caught everyone's attention except for Rick and Shane, who were still in a heated argument about what to do.

Daryl ripped his arm back out of her grasp, "I'm fine…"

But Skyler didn't leave it at that. No, she had to talk it up to Shane. The one thing Daryl did _not_ want her to do.

Skyler broke Shane and Rick apart, breaking up their argument and walking Shane back a few steps, her voice raised. "What? Is _Shane_ not man enough? You have to start shit with Daryl—fight him while he's injured, and then take a few cheap shots?"

"You best come get this girl," Shane looked back at Daryl. "I ain't kidding."

"Enough! Shane!" Rick yelled.

Daryl stepped forward and grabbed Skyler by the arm while still holding his side. She tried to pull away from his grip but failed as he was much stronger than her, successfully pulling her back towards Leah and Carol.

"You did that on purpose!" Skyler yelled at Shane.

"Skyler," Daryl warned, gritting his teeth. He caught a glimpse of Leah next to him, her face full of fear.

Shane finally bit his tongue and stormed off, back towards camp without another word. It felt as though the tension had lifted and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.

Rick walked over towards Daryl now, noticing the blood that had soaked through his shirt. He looked concerned. "You need to go see Hershel. See if he can't fix that."

Daryl nodded as he slightly stumbled back, Skyler quickly grabbing a hold of his arm and Rick jumping to grab him if need be, apparently fearing he was going to fall backwards.

"Are you okay to walk?" Rick asked Daryl, though he looked more towards Skyler for an answer.

"I can walk just fine. Why don't ya go figure out what hothead's problem is," Daryl muttered. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he clutched his side and forced his feet to shuffle forward towards the house. Skyler and Leah both rushed to his side, following him. Hershel wasn't going to be happy…

"Hershel!—" Leah called out for the old man once they had made it passed the screen door.

The pain in Daryl's side had only gotten worse since they walked from the barn. He was too hardheaded to let Rick help as he was now leaning on Skyler to keep him upright, gripping the blood soaked portion of his shirt in his fist.

Hershel entered the dining room from around the corner as his eyes were immediately drawn to the blood. He shook his head, "Bring him this way. We'll get him on the bed and I'll stitch him back up."

Skyler helped Daryl back to the room he was in just yesterday. Daryl got himself situated on the bed laying on his right side again as Hershel gathered up everything he was going to need. Leah and Skyler stayed in the room this time though. Skyler sat down in the chair beside the bed and had Leah sit in her lap. Hershel came back into the room with a metal tray full of little odds and ends of things to use on Daryl's reopened wound.

Once Daryl could hear Hershel behind him, he undid the last few buttons on his shirt and pulled it back far enough to expose the saturated gauze covering the exit wound. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to afford Hershel cutting off anymore of his shirts and he'd just have to hope this shirt could come clean. Otherwise he'd have to start planning out a supply run just for damn shirts.

Hershel gently pulled at the tape and removed the gauze, tossing it onto the tray on the nightstand. Daryl glanced down at the wound and cringed. It was inflamed and still bleeding, the majority of the stitches having been ripped out and tore through some of his skin.

"I thought I asked you to take it easy. How exactly did this happen?" Hershel asked as he grabbed a pair of tweezers from off of the tray.

"Shane attacked him," Skyler answered for him. She brushed her hands through Leah's hair, Daryl noticing it must be a nervous tick for her.

"That'll do it…" Hershel sighed. He began to pluck the torn stitches out of Daryl's skin, making him twitch. "I'll do my best at trying to get this stitched back up but I can't make any promises. It looks like Shane's attack did a number on your wound."

"Whatever ya gotta do…" Daryl mumbled. He shut his eyes and waited for Hershel to finish, not wanting to have any sort of conversation at the moment. And only after what felt like fifteen minutes or so did Hershel complete the little procedure, covering the wound back over with a patch of gauze. He had stitched what he could and patched it back up after cleaning it out.

"I'll leave you be in the meantime. But I'm serious. If you want your wounds to heal, you have to rest and not overexert yourself," Hershel explained before he grabbed the metal tray off the nightstand and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Daryl refastened the buttons on his shirt as Leah jumped up off of Skyler's lap and sat on the edge of the bed now.

"I knew I didn't like Shane…" Leah muttered.

"Yeah, that makes two of us," Daryl replied. He glanced over at Skyler who now wore an incredulous look on her face.

"What's really going on? What was all that between you and Shane?" Skyler demanded.

"Don't worry about it. Just mind your own business and keep away from him."

"Daryl, I mean it. This is serious. That guy has some issues and I think we're entitled to know what's going on," Skyler tried again.

"Just drop it," Daryl responded.

"I agree with Skyler. We deserve to know," Leah spoke up.

Daryl sighed and rubbed his face. Leah always had to step into the discussions and make him cave. He had no problem keeping up his stubborn act with Skyler but anytime Leah wanted something, he had to let it slip. He just couldn't deny or ignore her.

No… This time was different. He'd have to bite his tongue on this one. They would be better off _not_ knowing everything that was going on with Shane. If they knew, they would act out on it. They'd act differently around him and draw more attention to themselves. It was only natural. Daryl just had to figure they'd be better off not knowing and just keeping to themselves, staying away from Shane. Daryl would just keep an eye on them to make sure.

"Not about this…" Daryl shook his head. He didn't need Leah knowing that Shane had killed a man in cold blood. He didn't want her to panic over her safety. As long as he was with her, nothing would ever happen.

Skyler sighed in frustration, "I don't understand what the big secret is. He's obviously crazy."

"You don't know the half of it…"


	14. Now Or Never

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I've finally come to the conclusion that there are so many characters it's hard to try and incorporate everyone. I'll work on that little by little.

* * *

_**Now or Never.**_

Since Skyler and Leah made Daryl stay put, refusing to leave the room and pushing him back down if he tried to get up, he gave in. He ended up drifting off to sleep. He figured that's what they wanted anyway.

But when he woke up from the nap, he could hear screaming off in the distance. He quickly realized that Skyler and Leah were gone as he rolled over onto his back and tried to pinpoint the voice. It was definitely Shane. He was apparently stirring shit up again, not willing to leave the barn alone. When Daryl could hear a few gunshots ring out, he didn't think twice about rolling off the bed and jumping to his feet.

As he made his way through the house, he noticed everyone was missing. That only made his heart race that much faster, ignoring the pain in his side. All he could think was that Shane had _really_ gone off the deep end, that he had shot Rick or someone else. Or maybe it had something to do with walkers.

Daryl quickly pushed his way through the front door and stopped on the porch when he saw Skyler and Leah standing on the steps looking over towards the barn. They were okay.

"Daryl—" Skyler looked back and noticed him at the sound of the screen door slamming behind him.

"What's going on?" Daryl walked down the few steps and passed them, squinting his eyes to try and see exactly what was happening over in front of the barn. He could tell that Shane was the one who had fired the gun, still yelling at Rick and now Hershel. It looked like Rick had a hold of a walker like it was a damn dog on a leash.

"I don't know…" Skyler shook her head. "Everyone was going to go out and look for Sophia again, but Rick had left with Hershel and Jimmy a couple hours ago. They just now came back with walkers. Then Shane started shooting."

Once they could tell Shane was banging against the barn door, hitting at it with a pick ax to try and rip the bolt off the door, Leah let out a small whimper. She joined Daryl's side as he glanced down at her and squeezed her shoulder.

"Make him stop… Shane needs to stop…" Leah whispered.

"Ain't nothing gonna happen to ya. He's just gonna get the barn open and they're gonna take care of the walkers, that's it," Daryl explained. "I wouldn't ever let anything happen to ya."

Shane had now succeeded in ripping the bolt off the doors as they opened as far as the chain would allow. And the walkers began to file out in a straight line at first, the group being able to take them out one at a time as they hit the ground where they stood. But more and more just seemed to crawl out from the rickety structure, spacing themselves out.

Daryl bent down and held Leah close as they watched the bodies fall, gunshots filling the air. It only lasted a couple minutes before everything fell silent again. Daryl turned to Leah and pushed her bangs back, kissing her on the forehead before he stood back up.

"Stay here," he warned before he started walking across the field to the barn. He was half way there before he could hear two sets of footsteps running to catch up with him.

"I thought I told you—"

"We're not staying back there by ourselves," Skyler defended her and Leah.

Daryl hesitated but he let it slide. It was in that moment that he knew he was going to take them out later to practice shooting. How he looked at it, it was now or never. They needed to learn how to use a gun and protect themselves—from Shane or walkers or anyone else that could pose as a threat.

They came to a halt just on the outskirts of the group. Lori was sitting on the ground with Carl pulled into her lap, Carl's face glistening with a few tears. Lucas kept Amy back, hugging her to his chest so she didn't have to watch. Hershel had collapsed to his knees with Maggie at his side, crying. Jimmy held Beth in his arms as she tried to pull away from him, succeeding, and making her way over towards the pile of walkers.

"Mom—" Beth sniffled, falling to her knees in front of a couple of bodies. She threw one of them off of the other and carefully reached down to touch her mother's face.

The group was just now beginning to relax before there was a sudden growl and Beth screamed. It was as if everyone had just forgotten about all of the other bodies that could possibly reanimate had they not been properly killed as everyone lunged towards Beth. Her mother's dead body had reached up and grabbed her by her long blonde hair, tearing her down towards her snapping jaw. Ultimately, Shane had been the one to rip her out of her mother's grasp and pulled her back to her feet as Andrew put a bullet through the walker's head.

Daryl looked over towards Skyler and Leah and noticed they both had tears in their eyes. It was a scene neither of them really needed to see—especially Leah. He could only imagine what was going through her mind as she bit her trembling bottom lip. Daryl pulled her close and wrapped her in a hug, forcing her to look away from it.

"…Are you happy now?" Rick snapped at Shane. His voice was so quiet compared to the previous events of nothing but gunfire.

Shane ran his hands over his head and huffed, pacing back and forth. He seemed none too apologetic for his actions and the grief he had caused half of the group, if not everyone.

Rick walked over to Hershel and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry this had to happen. I'm sorry things had to be this way, but they weren't coming back. There is no cure…" he paused for a moment, "We'll give your wife and step-son a proper burial. As for the others… Well, we burn the rest."

Carol had been the first one to leave the scene, heading back towards the RV. Olivia didn't hesitate to take off after her to make sure she was okay. She was still upset over the loss of Sophia and that they apparently weren't any closer to finding her. As the days passed, it seemed pretty obvious that almost everyone was beginning to give up hope for the little girl. Shane's words were beginning to sink in. Maybe Sophia really was gone.

"Hey…" Daryl released Leah from the hug as she took a couple steps back to look at him. He wiped the couple tears from her face before he continued, "Why don't you and Skyler go see how Olivia and Carol are doing?"

Leah looked as though she were going to protest but Skyler spoke up, "I think that's a good idea. Come on, Leah. We'll let the guys take care of what needs to be taken care of." Skyler ushered Leah towards the RV, catching a quick glimpse back at Daryl and forcing a small smile as he gave her one in return. Leah didn't need to see them digging graves and burning bodies. She could come back with everyone once everything was all said and done.

Lori got back to her feet and led Carl back to the RV as well. Lucas offered Amy to go with Lori, and Maggie and Beth headed inside with Hershel and Patricia. By the time everyone had gotten situated going wherever they needed to go, it left Rick, Shane, Andrea, Dale, T-Dog, Glenn, Jimmy, Alex, Andrew, Lucas, and Daryl to help out. Of course there wasn't much Daryl could really do being injured and pretty much everyone made a point to tell him to join the others at the RV, to keep watch.

Daryl caught a glare from Shane before he started to head back. He supposed Rick had a point. It wouldn't do much good for Daryl to try hauling bodies off and digging holes. He'd most likely end up ripping the damn stitches out again. Besides, taking watch probably wasn't a bad idea with the way they had unloaded on the barn herd.

* * *

It probably took a couple hours but the task had finally been completed. The group had wrangled up all of the bodies into the back of Otis' truck and hauled them off to be burned, away from everyone's sight. There were also two fresh graves that contained Hershel's wife and step-son just off by the hill. Everyone crowded around and paid their respects, bowing their heads in silence. Hershel didn't say a single word the entire time.

When everything was all said and done, the group dispersed again. There were still a few hours left of daylight and Daryl took that as an opportunity. He managed to swipe the key to Otis' truck from T-Dog before he hunted Dale down.

"Now hang on a second. You're going to do what?" Dale furrowed his brows.

"I'm taking Leah and Skyler out to practice shooting. You gonna let me borrow a couple guns or not?" Daryl crossed his arms.

"You think that's such a good idea right now? Shane took everyone out yesterday."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, old man. And I don't want nothing to do with Shane. Don't trust the man. Sure as hell ain't gonna leave them with him." Daryl remarked.

"Okay… Fair enough. You can take a couple guns, just be sure to try and put them back when you're done. I've been trying to keep them all accounted for." Dale raised an eyebrow, "Let me be the first to say you're not alone on that one. I don't trust him either."

"I already have one gun I'm using. Was thinking about borrowing that Glock, unless Shane has it," Daryl nodded his head toward the bag of guns.

Dale shrugged, "It should be in there unless he took off with it without my knowledge. Help yourself."

Daryl unzipped the bag and sifted through all of the guns, picking up various pistols and revolvers, checking them over and setting them back down until he found what he was looking for. He didn't exactly have the luxury of having a smaller caliber pistol, but he figured it would have to work. He gave Dale a nod before he headed out, making sure to tuck the Glock into the waistband of his pants unnoticed. He didn't need someone giving him shit for running off. T-Dog and Dale both knew where he was headed and that's all that mattered. He was accounted for if anyone needed to know.

"Leah," Daryl waved her over. "You too, Skyler. C'mere." They were both talking to Lori and Carl as they excused themselves to listen to Daryl's request.

"What's wrong?" Skyler asked.

"Taking you two out to learn how to shoot," Daryl replied.

"Shoot _guns?_ Are we really?" Between Leah's voice and the face she was making, Daryl couldn't quite tell if she was excited or nervous. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

Daryl nodded, dangling the truck key in his hand. "Go ahead and jump in. Just gotta grab the Browning and I'll be there."

* * *

Daryl parked the truck and led the way over towards an old wooden fence. There were still a few bottles and cans lined up on the posts, so Daryl assumed this was where everyone had practiced yesterday. It seemed like a good place to start.

"I can't believe you left your truck behind…" Leah mumbled as she followed his footsteps. She had been a bit bummed once she learned Daryl abandoned the old beater of a truck back at the CDC. He just told her that it had seen better days and they didn't have enough gas to keep it going along with the other vehicles so he ditched it for Merle's Triumph. Which was the truth.

"Have you shot a gun before?" Daryl looked over at Skyler.

"A little bit. Not saying I'm confident holding one," Skyler replied.

"Alright…" Daryl chewed on the corner of his mouth momentarily as he panned through his thoughts. "First rule of thumb when it comes to guns, you don't point 'em at anyone unless you're planning to shoot. Second, you wanna make sure the safety is on at all times when not in use. Leah, I'm giving you the Glock to test out so you won't have to worry about that. It's sort of… built in, if you will."

Leah nodded, hanging onto every word that came out of his mouth. Skyler listened contently. Daryl handed the Glock over to Leah, allowing her to grip the handle as he had his hand over top of the slide. She immediately pointed the barrel down at the ground and Daryl smiled.

"Good, you were listening," Daryl joked.

"I'm a good listener, thank you very much!" Leah stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay, okay. On to business…" Daryl handed the Browning BDA pistol that he grabbed from the satchel on the Triumph over to Skyler. He had both of them walk up to the fence, standing back about 20 feet to start out. "Starting out, you definitely want to watch your stance. You especially, Leah. This gun's gonna have quite a bit of a kick to it for someone your size but I think you'll do fine."

Daryl walked behind Leah and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Now yer gonna want to move your legs apart, about at shoulders width. And bring your right foot back a bit." Daryl nudged her feet with his own to get her in the right position. "About like that. That way when you fire," Daryl pulled back on her shoulders as her weight shifted to her right foot, "You don't fall flat on your ass."

Daryl took a step back and glanced over at Skyler. She was trying to follow through with everything he was telling Leah as she flashed a nervous smile over at him.

"You think you got this so far?" Daryl questioned her.

"Yeah, I'm good," Skyler laughed. "I'll try not to fall on my ass."

Daryl shook his head, grinning, as he turned back to Leah. He took in her posture as she was raising the gun up in front of her, squinting her eyes down the sight.

"That's the next thing we're going to cover… You don't ever hold a gun with your arms locked at the elbow. You want to ease up a bit, bend your elbows and give yourself a little bit of room to work with. The more tense you are, the more it's just going to hurt later."

Leah bent her arms a bit, looking to Daryl and receiving a nod of approval. Daryl glanced back over at Skyler and noticed she was doing just fine with vocal instruction.

"You ready to shoot?" Daryl looked down at Leah.

"I guess so. I mean, that's all there is to it?" Leah lowered the gun in front of her.

"For the most part, yeah. We can worry about reloading some other time… That can be lesson two." Leah nodded in response as Daryl continued, "Now go ahead and raise it back up, get back in your stance. In order to prepare that first round, you're gonna want to grab the slide—the top of the gun—and pull that back towards you."

Leah gripped the slide and slightly fumbled with it before she was able to get it to pull back. It gave off a slight _click_ as it set into place. She smiled up at Daryl once she got it. There was another little distinct _click_ that let Daryl know that Skyler got hers to function.

"Now raise it back up in front of you. You wanna look down the sights. There should be a little white dot that you're looking for at the end of the barrel. That's what you want to line your target up with."

"Okay… Got it," Leah confirmed.

"Skyler?" Daryl glanced back.

"Yeah, got it," Skyler replied.

"You don't have to aim for anything with this first shot, alright? I just want you to get a feel for the gun before you actually start doing target practice."

"You said it's going to kick back? I'm not gonna hit myself in the face, am I?" Leah questioned.

Daryl shook his head, "Not at all. I'll help you for the first one but after that I want you to try it on your own." He walked behind her and placed his hands over top of hers on the gun. "Now just squeeze the trigger. It'll jerk back but like I said, I've got it this time…"

Leah nodded as she tilted her head to look down the sight. She hesitated for a moment before her finger pulled the trigger, the gun slightly jerking upward with a rather loud _boom_. Between the sound and the motion of the gun, Leah flinched.

"Don't be afraid of the gun. Can't do any harm to yourself with it unless you're purposely trying to," Daryl let go and backed up, taking her side.

"I don't know if I like this…" Leah pointed the gun back down at the ground. "It still kicked back even with you helping me."

"I wasn't holding it down fully. I wanted you to get a little bit of a feel for what it's going to be like without my help," Daryl admitted. "You'll get used to it. Don't worry about it."

Daryl glanced back down at Skyler again just as she pulled the trigger. The loud _boom_ reverberated off of the trees as a smile slowly crept across her face.

"I think this is similar to whatever Andrew has. He tried to show me how to shoot but I have to admit, he never went this much into detail. He just kind of handed me the gun and told me to shoot straight…" Skyler laughed.

"Sounds like you've had plenty of practice then," Daryl joked. He nodded his head toward the fence posts, "Try to hit one of those cans." He turned his attention back to Leah.

"Now what?" Leah asked.

"Try shooting on your own."

Leah bit her lip and slowly got back into her stance. Daryl noticed her hands were slightly shaking as she raised the pistol in front of her. She corrected herself when she realized she had locked her elbows again.

"You're fine. Just keep a firm grip on the gun and squeeze the trigger," Daryl reassured her.

He could see her grip tighten even more on the handle as her finger slowly pulled back on the trigger. She gave it a firm squeeze and the gun shot off. The kick back was about like he had imagined, jerking her hands up into the air quite a bit.

Leah quickly looked back at him, "I don't like it... How am I ever supposed to shoot something when I can barely keep the gun straight?"

Daryl took a couple steps forward, "Practice. You can't be afraid of it. Just remember everything I told you…" He paused, "Now try it again. Try not to tense up so much."

Daryl looked over at Skyler just as she nailed one of the cans on the fence, "There ya go. That's good."

"Thanks. I think I've got the hang of it," Skyler smiled.

"You're a natural, keep practicing. Try at least a few more shots," Daryl suggested.

Leah fired the gun again, this time stumbling back and shaking her head. "Daryl—I don't like it…"

"You're lettin' your emotions get the best of ya. You can't be scared and you can't get flustered. If I had a .22 for you to practice with first I'd start there. But I don't." Daryl encouraged her, "Just keep trying. You'll get it."

"But I _am_ afraid of it. I can't imagine trying to shoot something, let alone a walker…" Leah mumbled.

Daryl rubbed the side of his face. "I don't know what to tell ya. You gotta get used to it at some point. Not today and probably not even tomorrow. But you're gonna have to get over your fear."

"I just don't like the kickback…" Leah confessed. "…Why are you so persistent for me to learn all this stuff?"

"I just want you to be prepared for when worse comes to worse. That's all. I think you should know how to manage a gun for your own safety," Daryl admitted.

"Yeah, but everything's fine now. And I have you," Leah smiled.

Daryl sighed, "That's not the point. Tomorrow may not be okay. You can't predict the future. Hell, I could die tomorrow. And what would you do then?"

Leah's eyes grew wide staring back at Daryl before she looked over to Skyler.

"Nobody is dying. Certainly not tomorrow and certainly not you," Skyler stated.

Daryl shrugged, "I'm just saying. You have to keep an open mind to the possibilities. Can't let your guard down."

Skyler took another shot, this time missing the bottle she was aiming for. Daryl could see her lips move as he guessed she was cursing under her breath. At least she seemed determined.

"Think you're up for trying again?" Daryl folded his arms looking back to Leah.

"I guess," Leah shrugged. She hesitantly turned back around to face the fence and got into her stance once more. Daryl noticed with each time she did this, she was already getting better at it—she was getting into that stance faster and more accurately with each shot that she took. He'd just have to work with her about getting over the initial fear.

Leah popped off another round keeping her feet planted this time. Her hands were shaking as she dropped the gun to her side and looked back at Daryl again.

"You're doing good. You've already improved since the first bullet you shot," Daryl encouraged her once more.

"I don't feel like I have," Leah frowned.

Daryl took a couple steps forward again. He refrained from stooping down as he knew it would only send the pain to flare up even more. "You know… I was probably about your age when I first learned how to shoot a gun."

Leah's face lit up, "Really?"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah. I don't remember how old I was exactly, but I _do_ know that I used to be afraid too."

"You? Afraid?" Leah repeated. She looked doubtful. "How did you get over it then?"

"Practice," Daryl answered. And Merle breathing down his neck and pointing out every flaw he made, hitting him over the head numerous times until he got it right. But Leah didn't need to know that.

Leah now took her turn at sighing, "I thought that maybe you were going to teach me some neat trick or something…"

"This is just something you kinda have to learn on your own. Trial and error."

"Okay," Leah muttered. "But can we head back now? I'll try again tomorrow or whenever we come back here."

Daryl nodded, "Of course. You gave it your best, and you did good. I'm proud of ya."

Leah smiled, "That's only because I have the best teacher."

* * *

**I know pretty much next to nothing about guns; I can reload them and shoot. That's about it. So if I was able to play this off like I knew what I was talking about then hooray! I feel accomplished! Haha. **

**Leave me some **_**reviews**_**. I want to hear from all of you out there. xoxo**


	15. Second Chance

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Check out the poll on my profile and let me know which two characters you are looking forward to the most! (Not necessarily for this story-Just in general!)

* * *

_**Second Chance.**_

Hershel had taken off at some point this morning since the burial of his wife and step-son. Rick and Glenn had left to go after him, Maggie telling them that he used to be a heavy drinker back in the day and that they're best bet was to try Patton's Bar in town. Daryl couldn't blame the old man if he really thought his dead family members were just sick, that they could be cured. Though drinking away his sorrows wasn't exactly the best plan of action.

Things had calmed down quite a bit since yesterday's events. With Rick gone, Shane seemed a lot more at ease. He was still attempting to talk to Lori every now and then, even more so when Rick wasn't in the picture. It was apparent that he kept getting shot down though. Lori wasn't putting up with his crap.

There was something going on inside. Lori and Andrea were back and forth for a while before Andrea had decided to stake out her place on top of the RV. And for once, Daryl was just kind of sitting back and observing everyone from a distance. It was something he hadn't done in a while.

"I had Carl help me. We found some sticks you can use for your crossbow," Leah approached him with a handful of thin twigs. She smiled as she set them down beside him.

"Thanks." Daryl patted the ground next to him for her to join him. He was currently working on sharpening one up as she had returned with a new pile. He was limited on bolts but nobody ever said he couldn't make his own.

Leah sat down and sighed, falling back into the grass. "There's not a whole lot a girl can do around here."

"What happened to hanging out with Carl?" Daryl looked back out at everyone flitting about. The one thing he did notice over the past few days was that Glenn was making a move on Maggie, Lucas and Amy were hanging out a lot, and Shane and Olivia seemed to have something going on. If there wasn't anything between them, then they were just flirty. Daryl didn't understand how these women flocked to the man—Lori, Andrea, and now Olivia.

"He's just being weird," Leah replied.

"Weird? As in what?" Daryl glanced over at her.

"I don't know. Just weird."

Daryl just sighed. 'Weird' could mean a whole number of things, but of course Leah wasn't willing to expand on that. He had it coming though.

He set aside the stick he was working on, joining it to the pile, and replaced the knife back into the sheath on his belt. "I'm gonna go look for Sophia."

Leah sat up now and stared hard at him, "You're joking, right? I mean—I want her to be okay but…"

"You don't want me going out. I know. That's why you're the first to hear it from me." Now that he thought about it, the last time he tried looking for Sophia was when he came back injured. It felt like weeks since he'd tried to find her. But he knew he couldn't give up. He just wouldn't give Shane that satisfaction now. He _had _to find Sophia for his own sake, for Carol, and to prove that bastard wrong. Maybe even rub it in everyone's face that ever doubted her still being alive out there.

Leah huffed and jumped back to her feet. She gave him the best glare that she could work up before she stormed off towards the house. He figured she just wanted to get away from him as far as possible so that she could pout. She'd get over it though, so he wasn't worried.

"Hey, man," Alex greeted Daryl. "What's up?"

Daryl wouldn't usually be up for talking to much of anyone, but Alex seemed like an alright guy. He wasn't shady. In fact, he was pretty open about stuff. Definitely not a guy to ever let a secret slip to.

"Hey," Daryl acknowledged him. "Still happy you came here?"

"Of course I'm happy, why wouldn't I be? Being surrounded by everyone here is better than kicking it alone. Yeah, there are a few problems here and there… I can't thank you enough for letting us join your group though. Seriously. Even after we had our guns drawn on you and everything," Alex shook his head, smiling.

"You're still stuck on that?" Daryl smirked.

"Well… yeah," Alex shrugged. "Sorry if I'm bothering you. It's just that Lucas is stuck to Amy's hip and Olivia's all googly-eyed over Mr. Long-Tan-and-Handsome."

Daryl raised an eyebrow, "Long, tan, and handsome?"

"Spongebob. Don't tell me you've never seen that episode. I don't care how old you are, Spongebob was the shit."

"Alright, alright… A reference I don't get," Daryl laughed. "I didn't watch too much _Spongebob_ so forgive me for my lack of knowledge about fictional characters."

"…Uh oh, she doesn't look too happy. What'd you do now?"

Daryl realized that Alex was looking over towards the house and when he looked for himself, he could see what Alex was seeing. Skyler was walking at a brisk pace with Leah tagging along beside her. Leah must have told on him.

"I'm just going to be over here, minding my own business. But whatever you did, uh… good luck." Alex dismissed himself, walking over towards Glenn.

Daryl got back on his feet just as Skyler and Leah stopped in front of him.

"Are you serious?—Why can't you just lie down and get some rest? Let your body heal!" Skyler started in.

"'Cause nobody's takin' this seriously. That little girl is lost and alone out there and I need to find her." Daryl switched his gaze over to Leah as she ducked her head down to avoid his eye contact, her cheeks turning pink with slight embarrassment. She had told Skyler and now Skyler would be determined to keep him here at the campsite.

"You think risking your life to go back out there is worth it?" Skyler lowered her voice.

"What if it was Leah? Wouldn't you want to keep looking?" Daryl shot back at her.

Skyler scoffed, "That's different."

"I'm still going. And since you're both here, I can officially say that I'm going _now_." Daryl walked over to pick up his crossbow from a few feet away.

"Then I'm coming with you."

Daryl looked back at Skyler, "Nope, no way." He started to walk away but Skyler grabbed his arm.

"I am going with you, Daryl. No ifs, ands, or buts. You are _not_ going out there by yourself." Skyler let go of his arm once she realized she had his attention.

Daryl held a glare at Skyler for a long pause before he gave up. And that woman called _him_ stubborn…

"Leah, stay close to the others… We shouldn't be gone long," Daryl caved.

"Fine…" Leah crossed her arms. She tried to look mad but she bit her bottom lip and stared down at her feet.

"We'll be fine, Leah. I'll be with him this time. He can't try to kill himself," Skyler shot a glare in Daryl's direction.

"Just be careful. Both of you," Leah pleaded. "I don't know what I would do without you guys."

Daryl ruffled her hair as she smacked at his hand, laughing. "We'll be back a little later."

* * *

"Here," Daryl handed Skyler the Browning BDA. "It's the same gun you were practicing with. Don't use it unless you absolutely have to though."

Skyler nodded, taking the gun from his hand. She briefly examined it before she tucked it into the waist of her jeans. Daryl carried his crossbow at his side. He was prepared for if anything was to pop out from behind the trees.

"It's hard to believe everything that's happened… How different everything is."

"I guess," Daryl shrugged. "It was bound to happen eventually. The whole world going to shit anyway."

They walked through the woods in silence for quite some time, Skyler mostly following Daryl's lead. It was rather peaceful with nobody around and the sounds of nature to fill their ears; the natural rustling of the leaves from the wind, the birds singsong overhead. When Daryl glanced over at Skyler, he could tell she was trying to walk quietly. The way she was awkwardly stepping over sticks and tiptoeing through piles of leaves was a dead giveaway. He couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Skyler questioned, staring at him.

"You are trying way too damn hard, that's what. Just walk like you normally would. The only thing that could possibly be out here are walkers and Sophia," Daryl replied.

Skyler's face flushed, "I was just waiting to see how long it would take you to say something…"

"Uh huh, right…"

"…So when exactly are you going to explain what it is that's up with you and Shane?" Skyler changed the subject. And of course it was back to this.

"Why'd you feel the need to step into all that yesterday?" Daryl shot back at her.

"Because he's an ass and he needs to learn his place," Skyler retorted. "I didn't see anyone else making that move. He could have really hurt you."

Daryl scoffed, "That's unlikely. You should have stayed out of it. I was just fine. For all you know, he could have hurt _you_. And if he would have hit you…" Daryl paused and shook his head, biting the inside of his mouth. He would have _killed_ Shane if he would have laid a hand on her.

"You shouldn't worry so much. He's an ass but I don't think he would have hit me."

"You don't know that."

"And neither do you," Skyler glanced over at him. "So are you going to tell me or what?"

"Are you ever going to drop it?" Daryl looked back at her. Her eyes locked onto his and he sighed when he knew what her answer was. "Ya know, some things are better left unsaid."

"I agree with that statement but I disagree with this topic. If we're all going to be near him at all times—I mean, come on."

Daryl stopped walking and put a finger up to silence her. It took her a moment to realize that he had even stopped and when she saw that he had his finger raised, she scoffed.

"Are you trying to give me the silent treatment now?"

"…Shut up," Daryl warned. He raised his crossbow and looked over in Skyler's direction, off behind her. Her face turned serious and she shuffled more to the right. She probably thought he was targeting her at first but he didn't move from his initial spot, his eyes glued toward the direction he could have sworn he heard the noise come from. He couldn't quite place it. It sounded fairly distant and it was in the opposite direction of the farm, so it wasn't anyone of the group. He couldn't help but think that maybe if they weren't talking, he could have heard it better. Now it was just silent.

Daryl sighed as he lowered the crossbow and shook his head.

"Walker?" Skyler asked quietly.

"Not sure," Daryl responded. "Came from this direction though." He nodded his head in the direction he was facing, where he had his crossbow aimed just moments ago.

Skyler didn't question him and she didn't say a word about heading towards the sound. Daryl figured they might as well go check it out. Odds were it had to be a walker. But just to be on the safe side, Daryl wanted to make sure. Whatever it was, it could pose a threat and it definitely didn't need to find its way any closer to the farm. They had to be about a couple miles out by now, give or take.

After walking for quite a ways, Daryl decided to glance back over at Skyler. She kept close to him, closer than she was before, and she had the gun drawn. That must explain why she was being so silent. She was apparently afraid of whatever could now be lurking out there.

Before long they had managed to stumble upon a clearing. There was an old abandoned house that sat almost in the middle of it, the tall grass overgrown with weeds and various seedlings. It looked as though it had been abandoned for years—way before the apocalypse even occurred. There was a sort of mildew growing on the sides of the house where white paint had once existed, most of it scraped off now and exposing the bare wood underneath. The windows were tinted with a thick layer of dust and grime, a good portion of them busted out. One of the upstairs windows had a tattered drape that caught in the wind, stuck on the broken glass with nowhere to go. Part of the roof had sunken in. That portion had completely collapsed leaving a gaping hole. But the one thing that caught Daryl's eye was the fact that the front door—what was left of it—it was shut. Houses like this didn't usually have a front door left and they certainly were never closed. The wind would have usually taken it off its rotten hinges by now.

Something or some_one_ was in that house.

Daryl continued to walk towards the old structure as Skyler had now completely fallen behind him, following his footsteps. There were three walkers circling around the corner of the house now. One of them looked like it was desperate to get inside, banging against the exterior and growling. But it didn't take long for them to notice their newcomers.

Daryl raised the crossbow and easily dispatched the first one, firing a bolt straight through its head. He quickly reloaded the bow and shot the next one in the same manner. The third one was coming up now at a steady pace, its arms outstretched and gurgling as it lunged for him. He carefully grabbed it by its hair, pulled the knife from its sheath, and drove the blade into the side of its head. He pulled the knife out with a sickening squelch as Skyler cringed and he let the body drop to the ground at his feet.

"I don't care how many times I witness that—it's still downright disgusting," Skyler turned her head away from the walkers and stepped around Daryl.

Daryl just shrugged as he wiped the blade off on his pants before shoving it back into its sheath. He pulled the bolts from the other two walkers' heads and cleaned them off the best he could too, reloading the crossbow with one of them and placing the second one with the others in the holder.

"C'mon, we're going inside," Daryl waved her on to follow. "Stay close."

"You really are adventurous, aren't you?" Skyler joked. She kept the pistol gripped tight in her right hand as Daryl carefully walked up and onto the rickety front porch. The wood creaked under his weight and he motioned for her to stay put as he grasped the doorknob, giving it a slight turn and pushing the door open with enough force to provide it with momentum to swing open the rest of the way on its own. He took a couple steps in before he signaled her to follow again.

The inside of the house didn't look quite as bad as the outside, but it was still pretty beat up. The front door had opened up to a wide hallway that led to a staircase straight ahead, some of the stairs rotten and collapsed. It didn't seem likely that someone could have climbed them—at least, not very easily. The hole in the roof shined some light across the vacant living room to the left of the hall that held an old worn out couch. So far, there wasn't any sign of anything living… Until Daryl looked down at his feet and noticed a heavy dust on the floor. He scanned the battered hardwood floor and realized that some of the dust had been kicked up, more so by the front door and it seemed to provide a path that led to the right.

Daryl pointed at the path to allow Skyler to catch on as she nodded. He led the way into the room and quickly realized it used to be an old dining room and kitchen. There was a pantry built into the wall that hung open, exposing its bare, cob-webbed shelves. The table still held up on all four legs though it didn't look very stable.

Daryl turned his attention towards the counters though. One of the cabinets underneath was opened just a crack and that seemed suspicious… Daryl looked over at Skyler, catching her attention, and nodding down at the slightly opened cabinet door. She stepped forward and reached out to grab it and Daryl nodded with approval, preparing the crossbow. Skyler stayed back as she quickly threw the little door open and there was a shrill scream that startled both of them. Skyler took a few steps back as Daryl took a couple steps forward, squinting down and into the darkness to see what exactly he was staring at.

"P-Please don't h-hurt me!"

Daryl lowered the crossbow at the sound of the little girl's voice. That was when he could finally make out the dark blonde hair and ragged blue shirt, the dirty tan Capri's and worn out sneakers—all crammed into the tight space underneath the counter.

"Sophia—" Daryl spoke her name as she uncovered her face and looked back at him. Tears aligned her eyes as she crawled out and lunged at him.

"Mr. Dixon! You—You found me! You came after me!" Sophia exclaimed, her voice cracking. She was filthy. Her clothes had been torn on what appeared to be branches from running through the woods; a couple of scratches littered her tiny arms that were still enclosed around Daryl's waist. Hugging Daryl Dixon wasn't something she'd have normally done. She usually kept her distance when they were back at the quarry. But this was different. She was okay after all that time.

Daryl carefully pried her arms from his waist as she had bumped into his stitches. He forced a smile down at her thinning frame. The girl was already bone skinny and now she looked even smaller. He wondered if she had been able to even find anything to eat all this time.

Sophia glanced back and forth between him and Skyler. Her legs were shaking as if they were threatening to collapse from under her. It was only obvious she was tired and weak. And when Daryl tried to piece it together, he figured that noise he heard from the woods must have been her. Maybe she was running from the walkers and she slammed the front door to the house they were currently standing in. That had to be it.

Daryl turned his back to Sophia and got down on his knees, "C'mon. I'll carry ya back." There was barely a moment of hesitation as he felt Sophia's arms close around his neck and her legs hugged his sides. He got back to his feet and handed Skyler his crossbow so that he could make sure he didn't drop her—though she barely weighed anything.

"Are you okay to carry her?..." Skyler asked as she fumbled with the crossbow. She had no idea how to really use it so she threw the strap over her shoulder and carried it on her back.

"I don't see any other option. She's fine," Daryl answered. Sophia squirmed around and Daryl gritted his teeth as her leg rubbed against his stitches. He grabbed her left leg just behind the knee and kept a hold of her so that she wasn't applying pressure to his wound. He braced her other leg as well to keep her balanced on his back.

"Sorry," Sophia mumbled.

"Don't you worry about a thing. We'll get you back to camp, back to your momma," Daryl told her as he started to walk towards the front door of the old house.

"I can't wait to see everyone again—and my mom," Sophia paused. "Thank you, Mr. Dixon."

"It's just 'Daryl'."


	16. Secrets

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

_**Secrets.**_

Daryl didn't remember too much of what happened once he returned with Sophia and Skyler. Everyone was beyond shocked to see the little girl still alive and Carol had given him the biggest hug of everyone, even going so far as kissing him on the cheek. He didn't like that everyone became so touchy-feely, passing out hugs and patting him on the back. He wasn't used to receiving any type of appraisal—or attention—let alone _this_. It was too much.

He recalled Rick and Glenn having returned with Hershel and some kid. He didn't see the so-called kid and he really didn't care too much to find out more about him at the time. As well as the situation that apparently occurred with Beth—something about her being suicidal and cutting her wrist. And there was some obvious tension between some of the women, specifically Lori, Andrea, and Maggie. But that was all he really got out of everything when he returned. He was too exhausted to pay any more attention to them than what he had already given them and he crashed pretty hard afterwards, having no strength or energy left to care.

When morning rolled around, that's when things began to piece together.

Carol stuck by Sophia's side as she did her best to provide her with some food and water. Sophia had been gone for so long and she didn't have access to much of anything to keep her going, so she didn't feel the greatest. Everyone definitely made sure that she was taken care of though, especially Carol. Carl and Leah stayed with them to keep Sophia company. They all got along pretty well. Between Carol, Lori, and the kids, they all stuck together in their own little group.

As for everyone else… Well, it seemed like they were falling apart. Rick seemed to be avoiding Shane. Lori provided Shane with glares anytime he tried to approach her or Carl. Then there was Olivia and Andrea. Daryl could only guess this had something to do with some sort of petty, jealousy act. He had no clue what could be going on between Andrea and Lori though. Glenn stayed inside the house or with Maggie most of the time, away from the group. Hell, there was even tension between Dale and Shane. The only people who seemed to be neutral were T-Dog, Amy, Lucas, and Alex. Andrew had yet to really say much to anyone.

"Daryl, can I have a word with you?"

Daryl turned to see Rick approaching him. It certainly wasn't something he was used to. Rick never came to him for anything. But Daryl didn't say anything in response. He just let Rick continue.

"I actually wanted to ask something of you. And I know you've already done so much for this group, I hate to ask…"

"Get to the point," Daryl crossed his arms in front of his chest. He hadn't done that much for the group. About the only thing he figured was finding Sophia, and anyone could have done that if they'd have kept trying.

"Some stuff went down yesterday and into last night. When Glenn and I went into town to get Hershel, we were attacked. We were shot at by a group of men. Now we were able to bring one of them back—he was injured and we couldn't just leave him there..." Rick paused, running a hand through his hair. "Shane thinks that we should just execute him with no questions asked."

"And you want to spare him?" Daryl asked.

"Not necessarily. I—I don't really know what to do yet. I don't feel safe with him here but I don't know that killing him is the best option. What I'm asking is… do you think you could get some answers out of him? Maybe about his group and where they're located? I'd send Shane but I think you know why I'm not on board with that."

Daryl nodded, "So you're asking me to interrogate this… kid?" It made sense that Rick wasn't asking Shane. Shane would just kill the kid, no questions asked. And Daryl couldn't see any of the other guys interrogating him. So Rick must have thought Daryl was intimidating.

"Yeah, that's what I'm asking. If you don't mind." Rick rested his hands on his hips, glancing down at the ground.

"Alright… It's done. Where's he at?"

"We have him tied up out in the barn for now. It's best if he stays as far away from us as possible." Rick paused, looking up at Daryl now. His eyes met his just as Daryl looked away. "Thank you."

"Yeah, don't mention it…" Daryl took a glance back at the camp and spotted Leah with Carl and Sophia still. As long as she stayed put with the others, there would be no problem.

* * *

Leah was happy that Daryl found Sophia. To her, it felt like everyone's moods lightened a little. Especially Carol. She seemed like a completely different woman now—smiling and happy, and she didn't seclude herself anymore. Sophia was the same age as her as well. It was weird how that worked out so perfectly, all of them being the same age. Carl had already become friends with her before she was lost so now Leah had some catching up to do. The only thing she dreaded was the fact that there were only three of them. Three always meant someone got left out. Even though it might have sounded selfish, Leah was hoping she wasn't that one. Though if that were the case she always had Daryl and Skyler.

Even if she seemed distracted by Carl, Sophia, and their moms, Leah still noticed Rick talking to Daryl. They were a little ways away from everyone as though they needed privacy for whatever they were talking about. Leah couldn't even begin to read Daryl's face and it didn't look like he had much to say. But whenever Rick walked away, Leah watched as Daryl walked in the opposite direction. He was walking completely away from everyone and heading down to the barn. She thought she'd heard someone say something about that guy they brought back was being held down there. Whatever all of that meant. Apparently that guy was considered dangerous.

"I don't mean to push everyone away but I think Sophia needs to rest a while," Carol spoke up, smiling faintly. She looked to Lori and Lori nodded.

"I agree, Sophia's had some rough days. Carl, why don't you and Leah run along for a bit? But stay close. I don't want either of you running off into the woods by no means. Got it?" Lori instructed.

"Okay, mom. We'll stay close." Carl turned away from her and grinned at Leah.

They started to walk away as Leah caught his mischievous grin, "What's that for?"

"You wanna go see the guy my dad brought back here?" Carl looked much too eager.

Leah shrugged, "I don't think that's such a good idea. Besides, I think Daryl might be there."

"Chicken," Carl challenged. He grinned back at her again.

"I'm not a chicken!" Leah folded her arms. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

"You're a chicken," Carl repeated. "I dare you to come with me. We can go down there and see the guy and we'll do it without being caught. We can sneak up on him."

Normally, Leah wouldn't give into peer pressure. But what else was there to do? The only people she felt like she had any sort of connection to were Amy and Beth, besides Skyler and her group… And Amy was with Lucas and Beth wasn't feeling well. If they could do it without being seen, without being caught…

"I'll show you who's chicken," Leah challenged back. She began to walk towards the barn now, Carl just a couple steps behind her.

The only problem was they were almost there, and the door to the barn opened.

"What the hell are you two doing down here? Get your asses back to camp now," Daryl pointed his finger towards the group as he secured the door behind him. Leah noticed he had blood on his knuckles and she felt a sinking feeling in her gut.

"You're not my dad," Carl crossed his arms. "And you're not supposed to swear."

"Yeah? Well, I don't care. Get your ass back to camp before I personally drag ya there myself." Daryl paused, "I don't wanna see either of you two down here again. I make myself clear?" Daryl shot back at Carl and glanced over at Leah.

Leah made sure to take note of Carl's slowly reddening face and couldn't help but smile. She told him it was a bad idea but he was persistent.

"You think something's funny here?" Daryl turned his attention to Leah now as she shook her head. She figured it wouldn't do her any good to try explaining what they were doing. So, she waited for Carl to get a bit of a head start back to the camp as she walked side by side with Daryl.

"What'd you do?" Leah asked quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Daryl replied, not even casting a glance down at her in that moment.

Leah bit her lip, "You say that a lot you know."

Daryl didn't say anymore though. They just kept walking until the others noticed them approaching. Rick immediately walked over to get the verdict and Carol rose to her feet, now Sophia-less as she was sleeping in the RV.

"Kid's got 30 men and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here and our boys are dead. And our women… they're gonna wish they were," Daryl briefly explained. Leah didn't understand much of it. Thirty was a large number and if they were bad guys, it wouldn't be good if they found the farm.

"What'd you do?..." Carol's eyes were glued to his bloody knuckles.

"Had a little chat…" Daryl pulled the rag from his back pocket and began to wipe the blood off his knuckles the best he could. Carol partially rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disproval as she walked back to the RV. Leah was able to pick up on that one.

"Well, what do we do then? It's obviously not safe to keep him here," Andrea spoke up, looking to Rick for an answer.

"The way I see it, our only option is to kill him." Shane was leaning against a nearby tree, one eyebrow raised as he was staring down at the ground. Then he casually glanced up to meet Daryl's eyes before looking to Rick himself.

"What?—You can't just kill the guy. He's only a kid!" Dale exclaimed.

"Kid or not, he's still a threat. And the longer he's here, the more we're putting ourselves at risk," Shane replied.

"He may have a point." Andrew stood back a little ways, his voice carrying over. He received some glances in his direction mostly due to the fact he hardly ever spoke. Especially when it involved the whole group.

"Now hang on—nobody's killing anybody. At least not yet, not until I figure this out. He can't do any harm being tied up in a _barn_," Rick stepped forward. "And this is Hershel's land. We still have to respect that."

"So, we'll talk with him. Get things settled. He was with you and Glenn when it all happened, surely he'll agree that killing him is the best plan of action here." Andrea sided with Shane. She even went as far as glancing over at him, giving him a tiny smirk.

"He's not one of us," Olivia added, shrugging.

"You weren't one of us until here recently. And you can thank Daryl for that," T-Dog reminded her.

"That's different—we weren't running around shooting at anyone and we certainly weren't going to _kill_ anyone," Olivia argued. Alex put a hand on her shoulder to signal for her to stop. She pushed his hand off but she did remain quiet.

"…Even after what Daryl said, I mean… Can we really kill him that easily? He's human. I don't know that it feels right," Amy joined in now.

"Think about it though. I'm not saying I agree with… with Shane… but I don't necessarily feel safe with him here. What if he got out?" Lori questioned.

"He's not getting out," Rick confirmed.

"Then instead of killing him, why not just take him somewhere and drop him? It wouldn't be on your conscience then. You could simply let him go." Dale tried once more to argue his point.

"He knows Maggie," Daryl spoke up over top of everyone. At his words, everyone fell silent and turned to look at him. "Went to school with her. And he knows Hershel."

"…Then he knows exactly where he is," Rick rested his hands on his hips again, staring down at the ground. He cursed under his breath and turned abruptly to walk away from the group, heading straight for the house.

Leah wasn't too sure where she stood.

* * *

Night fell upon them in what seemed like a blink of an eye. The wide majority ruled that they wanted Randall to be killed, executioner style. But for the sake of those who were against it—mostly Dale, a few of the women, and T-Dog—Rick decided that he would go out first thing in the morning with Shane to drop Randall somewhere miles out. It still didn't mean that Randall couldn't eventually find his way back with the group of men he had but at least it was maybe a bit more humane.

Daryl didn't really care either way. If they killed Randall, great. If they let him live, great. It wasn't like he was ever going to let his guard down. Except for tonight… Because tonight seemed as good as any.

Leah had already gotten into the tent and was most likely asleep by now as well as the rest of the group. It didn't really matter though because since Daryl moved their stuff, they were situated far enough away from the others—for the most part out of sight and definitely out of hearing range.

Daryl raised the bottle of Yukon Jack to his lips and took a swig. It burned going all the way down but the warm, fuzzy feeling inside his head was a lot nicer than the harsh memories biting at the back of his mind. Maybe it made him a bit of an ass for ever thinking it, but he didn't want to think about Elena, he didn't want to think about Merle, he didn't want to think what tomorrow could bring—he just didn't want to _think_. He wanted to be able to just turn his mind off like it had a sort of power switch to it. Of course alcohol was the only thing that could even attempt that. And he mentally thanked Glenn for snagging the bottle when he was out on a supply run a couple weeks ago.

Daryl was seated in the grass in front of the small fire he managed to get started before he opened the bottle of whiskey. He kicked at the fire a bit to stir it up with his boot as a few embers caught the slightest breeze. Now that he looked at the bottle of liquor, he realized it was already about a third of the way gone, at least. He smiled at his accomplishment, surprised he hadn't really felt the effects of it yet.

"Please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing."

Daryl looked over to see Skyler walking towards him. She had her arms folded in front of her chest as she hovered over him at first, almost glaring down at him on the ground before she sat next to him. Daryl just shrugged and took another swig.

"Did you forget where we are? What's happened?" Skyler watched him as he stared back at the fire.

"Don't fucking care no more. Why you think I'm drinking?"

Daryl could hear her sigh but he didn't expect for her to start reaching across him. He slightly jumped, almost falling back before he realized she had a grip on the bottle, yanking it from his hand. He turned his attention to her and watched as she raised the bottle to her lips, taking a rather large swig. She almost choked as she stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted face, handing the bottle back to him.

"Holy shit—that's strong. How are you drinking that?" Skyler questioned.

Daryl couldn't help but laugh, "Big baby."

"I'm not a big drinker. If you couldn't tell," Skyler confessed.

"Never crossed my mind…" Daryl mumbled, grinning, as he took another swig.

"So, I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say you're not going to be up for much talking?"

Daryl glanced back over at Skyler and noticed she was eyeing the whiskey. He looked down at the bottle himself as if mesmerized by it. He was guessing he still had a little ways to go before he got completely trashed. But that was just a guess. He probably hadn't given the liquor much time to settle yet. It probably didn't help that he didn't eat much earlier either. _Oops_…

Skyler grabbed the bottle back and took another couple swigs, her face not as bad this time around. She was obviously hiding it.

"Thought ya said ya weren't a big drinker?" Daryl eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm not, but I don't see why I can't enjoy myself like you are," Skyler took a couple more swigs before she passed it back to Daryl.

Daryl scoffed, "Yeah, livin' the high life."

"I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"…This. Everything. I don't know… Aren't you still in pain from…?" Skyler pointed awkwardly down at her own side. Daryl just lifted the bottle up and gave it a little swish in the air for emphasis. "Yeah, okay… Alcohol can't solve everything," Skyler smiled.

"You'd be surprised."

They sat in silence for a few minutes just staring at the flames and passing the bottle back and forth. It didn't take long for half of the liquor to disappear, if not more. And it didn't take long for Skyler to reach the giggly stage. She was definitely drunk and it didn't take much. Though she's a female and she's a lot smaller than Daryl. Add that to 'not a big drinker' and bingo—you've got yourself a tipsy woman on just a few shots.

"I think you've had plenty," Daryl snatched the bottle from her hands and kept it on his right side, away from her immediate grasp. His head was swimming and he felt a bit lightheaded. Overall, he was still pretty aware of everything though.

"Hey!—" Skyler complained. "You—_you're_ not the boss of me, Mr. Daryl… Dixon!"

Daryl bit his lip to hold back a laugh, his face suddenly feeling warm. But Skyler quickly lunged at him, taking him by surprise once again as she practically sprawled out across his lap and he extended his right arm out at his side to keep the bottle from her.

"Right now, I _am_ yer boss an' I say yer not drinkin' no more—" Daryl fought with her, now raising the bottle over his head as she had almost reached it when he had it down low. But he caught the look on her face, a grin slowly spreading. He didn't have time to brace himself before she tackled him to the ground, landing with a slight _thump_ onto his back. Luckily, he managed to still keep the open bottle above his head as he didn't drop or spill it.

Skyler's head rested on his chest now as she placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on her own head. She was silent at first, completely still, before she let out a small laugh.

"Here the world's gone ta _shit_ and I'm here with you," she slurred. "You make a comfy pillow…"

Once Daryl realized she was finished trying to snag the liquor, he carefully set it down in the grass above his head and sighed. After she had knocked him over, it sent his head spinning, realizing just how much he _did_ drink. He probably wouldn't feel too great in the morning but he figured Skyler would be a lot worse off.

He looked down at her the best he could as she was still laying across his chest completely still. He couldn't see her face but if he could guess, he bet she had her eyes closed and was probably close to la-la land. Daryl rubbed his face before he cautiously placed a hand on her back. She still didn't stir, even when he rubbed his hand up and down her back. She was completely out.

_Just don't throw up on me. Please don't throw up on me…_

* * *

**I always feel like I'm forgetting something… I apologize that I didn't cover Sophia too much in this chapter. But I figured she'd probably need to rest and Daryl was pretty worn out to really pay much attention earlier on (since it's being told from his POV). **

**I would still love to hear from all you silent readers out there.**


	17. Broken

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I have to admit, I was a bit excited for this chapter… Because reasons. :P Just as a heads up, this chapter is pretty much all Leah's POV.

And another heads up, I… may or may not have posted the first chapter to the new story I'm going to slowly work on with this one. I'm sorry! My brain is just like a hyper-active child bouncing off the walls. So, if you want to check that out you can. It's titled 'Promises' and it's mostly going to focus on Daryl, Maggie, Carl, and Judith. Technically, yes it's the sequel to Prisoner of War—but it can be read on its own. Okay! Enough about that. Onward!

* * *

_**Broken.**_

"Shit…" Daryl reached up and rubbed his head, yawning. He opened one eye and noticed Skyler was still lying on his chest. "…The hell?"

Skyler carelessly threw her arm up and smacked her hand to Daryl's mouth, "Shut up… My head is pounding…"

Daryl was just trying to sift through his thoughts and piece together what happened last night before Skyler jerked herself up and onto her knees next to Daryl. She held her head as she stared down at him.

"Holy shit—"

"Yeah, you fell asleep on me…" Daryl glanced down at his shirt. "And you managed not to throw up. Good job."

Skyler groaned, "Sitting up that fast wasn't one of my brightest moments."

"That's kind of why I'm still laying here," Daryl muttered, resting his arm across his eyes. He had a bit of a headache but it wasn't bad. He figured whenever he actually got up, he'd get some water. That usually helped.

But when Daryl looked back over at Skyler, he could tell she was feeling miserable. She had crashed back to the ground on her side slightly curled up with her arm across her head as well.

Daryl forced himself back to his feet at a steady pace. He stretched until he was able to get his shoulder to pop before walking over to Skyler's side. "C'mon. I'll walk ya to the house. See if Hershel has any remedies for a hangover."

Skyler peeked up at him through squinted eyes, the rising sun already providing bright enough light to interfere with both of their headaches. Daryl offered her a hand up as she took it and practically fell into him once she was back on her feet.

"Never… let me drink again," Skyler shook her head. "Ugh…"

Daryl hid his smile as he ushered her towards Hershel's house. She was walking alright but he figured he'd stay with her just in case—not to mention it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to see Hershel about his stitches too. He glanced over towards the camp and quickly realized everyone was beginning to get up for the day as well. At least they weren't too far behind.

* * *

When Leah crawled out of the tent, she noticed Daryl and Skyler were gone. She'd be lying if she said she didn't hear them last night. They sounded happy and she could hear both of them laugh every so often. She figured that had to be a good sign. She hadn't heard either of them laugh in a long time, so it was comforting in a way. She tried to peek over at them in the night but could never quite make out their figures in the dark. The fire was too small to really provide that much light from there to the tent. But she could now see the half empty bottle of alcohol sitting in the grass and she could tell they had been drinking. She'd never really seen anyone drunk before besides her uncle Matt during the Super bowl a couple years back—and he was funny drunk. She wasn't sure if that was the same for everyone or not.

Leah smiled to herself as she headed over to the others. There was quite a bit of movement among everyone as they were still settling on where to sit. Carol was fixing eggs again for breakfast as she hummed happily, a slight smirk on her face. That alone was enough to make Leah even happier. She could tell she was so distraught before and now that Sophia was back, she seemed a lot more chipper.

Leah gave a small wave to Sophia before she sat down next to her. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better," Sophia answered. "It feels good to be back with everyone."

"I bet. I can't even imagine being out there. You're brave." Leah figured it was true and it would also make her feel maybe that much better. Encouraging words always made Leah feel better anyway.

Before Sophia could say anything in response, both of the girls realized someone was standing just behind them and casting a shadow. They looked up to see Shane as he pulled his pant legs up, gripping them just above his knees, and squatted down between them.

"Hey, girls… Sophia," Shane nodded. He forced a smile as he continued, "Look… I just wanna say I'm real glad to see you're back and alright. We were all worried about you here. Now, see… There were some people who wanted to give up looking for ya, but I—I told 'em we couldn't. Told 'em we had to keep searching because I knew you were out there."

Leah narrowed her eyes at Shane's lies, "Daryl found her and brought her back."

Shane caught the look Leah was giving him as he reached a hand out and landed on her shoulder, giving a rather hard squeeze. If Leah didn't know any better, she'd think that was his way of telling her to shut up. "That's right, but he only went out looking for ya because I told him to, ya see? I would have gone looking myself but I messed up my ankle there for a bit and then I was needed around here, help make sure things were safe…" Shane paused. "But I just want you to know, Sophia… I'm glad you're okay."

Sophia exchanged looks with Leah, looking at her confused since her face displayed some sort of anger before she muttered a small, "Thanks, Mr. Walsh." Shane patted her on the shoulder before he got back up and left.

"He's lying," Leah immediately blurted. "Everything he just told you was a lie."

"What do you mean? Shane's always seemed nice. He beat up my dad when he was still alive…" Sophia paused. "I know that doesn't _sound_ nice—sorry…"

Leah didn't know anything about Sophia's dad, or really Carol. But she figured she'd skip over those details. It sounded like Sophia's dad apparently needed to be hit so there was no need for an apology on Sophia's part.

"He may seem nice but he's faking it. I don't trust him," Leah folded her arms. "He hurt Daryl. And ever since then, I've been kind of watching him. He gives Rick and Daryl some really nasty looks. And he keeps trying to bother Lori and Carl."

"I thought Shane was Carl's dad when I first met them. Before Rick came back… I thought they were married," Sophia confessed.

Leah nodded as she took in the information. It was certainly interesting all the things she could learn about the others.

* * *

Once everyone had finished breakfast, Leah decided to head back to the tent. She still hadn't seen Skyler or Daryl so she figured they must be inside. She hadn't really seen much of Carl this morning either, and she was surprised to see him pilfering through the bag on Daryl's motorcycle.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leah crossed her arms as she walked over closer to him. She realized her voice must have startled him because he slightly jumped. That's when she noticed he was holding onto the gun Skyler had used before.

"I was just looking…" Carl mumbled.

"Well, put it back. It's not yours. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to snoop?"

"…You want to go for a walk?" Carl looked over at her as he changed the subject. Leah could only look back at him confused.

"…Sure?" Leah raised an eyebrow.

Carl grinned, "Well, let's go then!"

Leah watched as he stuffed the gun into the front pocket of his jeans. She was already biting her tongue in telling him to put the gun back but, "Make sure you put the safety on" came out first.

"Don't worry, I already did. Shane taught me all of that." Carl continued, "And don't worry. I'll give it back. But for now, I need it to protect you."

Leah felt her cheeks grow warmer as she quickly glanced down at the ground, anywhere but back at Carl. Had he really just said that he was going to protect her?

"I could have protected myself just as easily. Daryl taught me how to use a gun," Leah challenged.

"Well, we're going into the woods. I heard the others talk about some sort of creek or something over here and I want to see it. Figured morning was the best time to get away from everyone because they're all busy doing stuff," Carl explained.

Leah gave it some thought. Should she really be going into the woods with Carl alone? Should they be sneaking off like this? She felt like she should have told Daryl or Skyler where she was going but the more she thought about it, Daryl probably wouldn't let her go. But they'd be just fine. She wasn't going to let Carl wander too far into the woods because she'd stop following him then.

They walked for a little while, Carl occasionally messing around with the gun by waving it around in the air, pretending to be cautious and ready to shoot. Leah thought it was sort of funny at first but it got old pretty fast. Carl must have noticed that because he quit afterwards.

"Whoa."

Leah saw what Carl was looking at now as she took a couple steps back. There was a walker right there in plain sight, completely stationary on its feet. But it heard Carl's voice and instantly started moving, reaching forward as it tried to get its feet to cooperate. That's when Leah realized it was stuck in the mud.

Carl laughed, "It can't get out. Sucker." He bent down and picked up a good sized rock, testing its weight in his hand before he threw it at the walker. It hit its shoulder as it grunted in response, snapping its jaw and reaching forward once more.

"Carl…" Leah warned.

"What? It can't get us. It's stuck. Besides, I'd kill it before it could ever hurt you." Carl pulled the gun from his pocket and pretended to aim at it, making little 'pew pew!' noises. He even imitated the kickback.

"That's not funny," Leah crossed her arms. For some reason, she felt a pang somewhere in her stomach. Like it was doing somersaults. But she didn't feel sick. She didn't even feel all that nervous about the walker. She felt more nervous of Carl. And when he looked back at her and their eyes locked, she felt her stomach do that weird thing again.

Even though Carl Grimes was a bit childish, he was still pretty cute.

But the sound of the walker falling broke them out of their little gaze as Leah let out a small scream and Carl covered her with the gun raised. The walker was still stuck but it looked like it was close to getting out now, clawing at the mud and dirt underneath it.

"He's not going anywhere. Come on, let's just go back," Carl turned around to face Leah again. She could only nod in agreement. Carl crammed the gun back into his pocket. "When we get back, you can have the gun. I don't want Daryl finding me with it…"

Leah grinned, "Afraid he'll bite your head off?"

"Wha—no," Carl quickly replied. "…I'll just let you return it."

* * *

It was obvious Carl was a little afraid of Daryl and that news had plastered the slightest grin on her face as they split up once returning to camp. Leah had the gun tucked into the back of her jeans so that it was out of view, just in case. She figured if she ran into Daryl she'd at least have time to try and explain her story before he freaked out about her having it in the first place.

But when she noticed Dale was talking to Daryl by their tent, she slowed to a halt. Neither of them had seen her yet, and for that she was thankful. She tried to stay out of their line of sight as she picked up bits and pieces of what they were talking about.

"This group's broken. I'm better off fending for myself." Daryl wasn't even giving Dale his full attention. He was distracting himself, doing everything possible not to look at him.

"What about Leah? And Skyler?" Dale badgered. "You act like you don't care."

"I care about them, but that's it."

"So you're okay with… with going through what's going to happen to Randall? You think it's right to have him executed?"

"Sure, might as well. He don't mean anything to me."

"You make it sound like it doesn't matter. So why not take a stand with me? Try to save the kid's life. He's only a kid!"

Daryl scoffed, "Didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch."

"Your opinion matters and it can make all the difference."

"Ain't nobody looking at me for nothing."

"Your family is—Skyler and Leah. I am right now. And you have Rick's ear—"

Daryl turned his attention to Dale now, his eyes narrowed. "Rick just looks to Shane. Let him."

"You cared about finding Sophia. You didn't give up. I _know_ you care about what happens. But torturing people? That isn't you. You're a _decent_ man. So is Rick. Shane—he's different."

Daryl crossed his arms, "Yeah? And why's that? 'Cause he killed Otis?"

Dale's expression immediately changed. He looked shocked as he dropped his voice down a little lower as Leah strained to keep listening. "He tell you that?"

"That bullshit story about how Otis covered him and saved his ass? Shane could hardly walk after twisting his ankle. Rick ain't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's 'cause he didn't wanna. It's like I said—group's broken."

Dale gave him a small nod before lowering his head and leaving Daryl to be left alone. Leah figured she'd wait a minute or two before she just waltzed right over. She wondered if she should let on about everything she was beginning to figure out. Shane killed a man, Daryl tortured Randall, Skyler and Daryl were drunk the previous night. She almost regretted standing there with the gun behind her because she knew Daryl would eventually spot her.

"I'm guessing you heard all of that…" Daryl muttered. He wasn't looking towards her but she knew he was talking to her.

"Some of it," Leah confessed. She walked over to him now and into plain sight. She wondered if she should tell him anything about going out into the woods with Carl. Then she figured she'd try to hide it if she could. Daryl didn't look too happy and she didn't want him to get angry.

"I don't mean anything bad against you or Skyler. I don't know what all you heard or what you got out of all that—"

"I know," Leah cut him off. "But when you said the group's broken… You're not leaving… right?" She couldn't help but ask. The thought suddenly occurred to her.

"_We _are not leaving," Daryl corrected her, placing emphasis on the 'we'. This made Leah smile. She didn't think Daryl would ever leave her or Skyler, but for whatever reason the thought still crossed her mind in that moment. She wasn't sure what exactly happened between her mom and dad but she just assumed Michael left her mom—something bad happened. She kind of regretted not ever talking to her mom about everything, personal or not. Because now she would never know…

Leah closed the gap between her and Daryl and hugged him. Even if she had only known him for a little over two years, she felt like he should be her real dad. She'd never be able to express how much she truly loved him and how happy she was to have him in her life. She didn't know what she would do without him or if something ever _did _happen to him. She didn't want to think about it.

She felt Daryl rub her back before kissing her on top of her head. And she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

It was once again nighttime as Leah sat around the main camp's fire next to Skyler, her head resting against her shoulder. It was beginning to get a bit chilly at night and Leah dreaded what that meant. Winter would be upon them before they knew it.

While Leah was out in the woods with Carl earlier that day, she realized that's when Rick and Shane must have returned. But they came back all bruised and beaten with Randall. Leah wasn't sure what exactly happened. She didn't think Randall could have gotten the jump on both of the men, that didn't seem likely. However, since they didn't drop Randall off somewhere, it left him back in the barn to be killed… And of course, Daryl was the one who had to take care of it. Shane and Rick barely looked at each other and Leah was beginning to think their bruises were from one another. After learning what she did earlier, it wouldn't surprise her. Shane didn't seem like a safe guy to be around.

Carol and Sophia were sitting next to Skyler as Lori had Carl wrapped in her arms across the campfire from them. Leah caught Carl's eyes staring back at her and she smiled at him. Carl smiled in return. Leah noticed Sophia was shivering slightly and she reached out to grab her hand. The action startled Sophia as she glanced over and gave a weak smile. Leah wanted her to know that she was there for her, she wanted to be friends. The world was too cruel now. It wasn't like you got to choose who you wanted to have as a friend anymore. Everyone just had to stay close and work together.

Nobody really said much of anything. The only sound was the crackling of the fire emitting heat. Everyone was crowded around and leaning on someone, shoulders almost touching. Leah had Skyler, Sophia had Carol, Carl had Lori, Lori had Rick, Glenn had Maggie, Amy had Lucas, Olivia had Shane… The only people that were missing from the circle were the rest of Hershel's family and neighbors, and Daryl and Dale. Leah just figured Dale was probably inside the RV or something. Or maybe he was keeping watch. She was too tired and chilled to move.

Just as she felt her eyes get heavy, the warmth of Skyler next to her lulling her off to a light sleep, someone screaming had caught her attention. She stayed still for a moment. Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe she was just hallucinating it. The world had a funny way of doing that now—scaring her.

But her eyes shot open as she sat up straight, wide awake. The screaming was real, and it was Daryl. He was screaming for help.

Leah felt like her heart had stopped when she looked out at everyone else. They all wore the same panicked look as everybody began to jump back to their feet and take off running. Leah didn't bother to hesitate. She didn't wait for someone to tell her she had to stay back just in case, just to be safe. She didn't care. Daryl was in trouble. And now she regretted sneaking the gun back to the satchel on the Triumph.

* * *

**Okay… "obvious cliffhanger is obvious". But for the sake of stopping and picking this back up, it felt like a good place. **

**P.S. I'm not going to abandon this story. No worries. I might eventually get a little hung up from time to time, but I will not completely abandon this.**


	18. Better In Time

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** This chapter might be a bit depressing. But hopefully towards the end it'll lighten up.

* * *

_**Better In Time.**_

When Daryl heard someone yelling out, he definitely didn't expect to come across Dale being ripped apart by a walker. Once the scene was in sight and displayed in front of him, he ran as fast as he could. But of course it wasn't fast enough. The only thing Daryl could do was tackle the decaying form from off of Dale and drive his hunting knife into its skull.

By the time he looked back at Dale, he felt sick. He didn't know what to do—there was nothing he _could_ do. Before he knew it he was screaming for help. And it didn't take long for the others to come running.

"Oh, my God—Dale—" Andrea immediately fell to her knees at his side.

"No!—" Rick cursed under his breath. "Hershel—we need Hershel!"

But Hershel was right there at everyone's side without missing a beat. Daryl caught the grim look on his face as he stared down at Dale, his stomach completely ripped open. Daryl wished he could be more positive on the subject but he knew Dale was a goner. There was no coming back from that. It may not have even been plausible prior to the outbreak.

"Rick," Hershel shook his head.

"We can move him. You have to—you have to help him," Rick kept trying.

"He won't make it…" Hershel commented.

"No, no!" Rick ran his hands through his hair. The man was on the verge of tears, as well as the rest of the group. Some had already begun to cry.

"He's suffering…" Andrea frowned.

"Oh, Dale—" Amy cried. She hugged her sister as they stayed on the ground next to him.

Daryl sought out Leah and Skyler. Skyler had Leah hugged to her, both of them silently crying. Daryl watched as Rick pulled the Colt Python revolver from its holster on his side. He raised the gun to take the shot to end Dale's pain, to end Dale's life. But Daryl could see him falter—he couldn't do it. He didn't have it in him. That's when Daryl stepped up. Shane couldn't end Dale's life. It didn't seem right. Dale deserved better than that.

Daryl walked over to Rick and slowly took the gun from his grasp. Rick looked at him and Daryl gave him a prompt nod. He got down on one knee and looked Dale in the eyes one last time. He had to do this though. He couldn't back out, he couldn't let Dale suffer. Daryl respected the old man. He might have had his opinions about everything but at least he stood by them. And he never once opened his mouth about Daryl back that first night at the quarry, and Dale never mentioned it again to Daryl.

This was something Daryl would want if he were in Dale's place and he'd respect anyone who could do it. Dale didn't deserve any of this.

"Sorry, brother." Daryl raised the gun to Dale's head and pulled the trigger.

* * *

When Leah finally registered what had happened, her eyes searched for Carl. The walker that was now lying dead next to Dale had been the same exact walker they had come across earlier that day in the woods. Carl stared back at Leah for a moment before he turned back to his mom and cried. This was their fault. Dale's _death_ was their fault.

Leah just barely managed to watch Daryl take the gun from Rick and shoot Dale in the head. The only thing she could do was bury herself into Skyler and cry. She didn't want to be there. Dale was the first death by a walker that she had encountered. Scratch that—Dale was the first death that she had encountered, period. All she could think about was that walker and how Carl had come so close to shooting it but didn't. This was _their fault_. She regretted even going on that walk with Carl now.

Skyler walked her back to their tent and they crawled in together. Daryl didn't return with them. Instead, he stayed with the rest of the guys and already started to work on digging a grave for Dale. It didn't seem right to just leave his exposed body out like that and the group decided to go ahead and bury him. Leah certainly didn't want to watch and neither did Skyler. And even though Leah was tired before all of this, she was wide awake now.

Her thoughts nagged her. If they would have stayed at the campsite, would that walker have still been there in the mud? Would it have gone a different direction if and when it did get out? Had they given that walker the direction back to camp? What if Dale hadn't been there—what if he was with everyone else? Would that walker have gotten Daryl?

Leah tried to shake the thoughts. As much as she hated to think it, she was glad it was Dale over Daryl. She couldn't lose Daryl, even though she was pretty sure that walker would have never been able to sneak up on him.

It felt like hours passed as Leah laid there in the tent, her eyes focused on the still blackness of the night, waiting. She could hear footsteps just outside the tent and that was all it took before she was on her feet and leaping out into the cool night air.

She threw her arms around Daryl and hugged him tight, the tears starting back up again as she buried her face into his shirt. He felt cool to the touch from the temperature drop even though he smelled like a mixture of sweat and earthy undertones from digging.

Daryl didn't say a word. Leah figured there wasn't much to say. She couldn't think up any words at the moment. She wasn't even sure she could force any words out of her mouth if she tried.

The longer she stood there hugging onto Daryl, his arms around her in return, the better she slowly began to feel. It didn't erase the thoughts from her mind but knowing he was there was comforting, as well as the warmth of his hug in general. Leah knew she had to pull herself together as it was a work in progress. Her crying had settled down compared to what it had been. A slight breeze blew through, giving her goose bumps as she shivered slightly.

And Daryl still didn't say a word as he slowly released her and took his arms back, guiding her into the tent. Skyler was still awake and she forced a weak smile at them once they entered. Leah settled down between the two of them as usual and curled up into a ball.

Even though she was twelve, she wanted her mom more than anything in that moment.

* * *

Hardly anyone said a word the next morning after the funeral service for Dale. The atmosphere was completely dreary and there was still a bit of a cold nip to the air. Everyone just sat around unsure of what to do. It was only obvious a walker coming into camp was going to happen eventually—they had let their guard down. Hershel's farm felt safe and they had been more preoccupied with Randall then they had been with walkers.

Daryl just preferred to stay away from everybody. He wasn't one to deal well with emotions and therefore, he avoided them all together when he could. Seeing the group mope and cry was a little unnerving for him. He just wanted his space. Dale was a good man and he certainly didn't deserve to go like that.

"Daryl…? Cant I talk to you?" Leah was walking towards him now. She was wearing one of his long sleeve shirts to keep the cool breeze at bay, though it was big on her. She had her stare fixed at the ground and watched her feet with each step. Daryl didn't have to be a biological father to pick up on her sadness.

"Of course," Daryl replied. He was about to ask her what was wrong but figured that wasn't the right thing to say. She looked upset since last night and figured this all had to do with Dale.

"I—I went on a walk yesterday. With Carl. And we went into the woods…" Leah began. She still avoided looking at Daryl as she continued, "He took the gun from your bike. And we—we ran into a walker…"

"The walker that killed Dale?" It was the first thing to come out of Daryl's mouth but not his initial thought. He was just able to bite his tongue and hold back from yelling at her for being reckless.

Leah nodded, "We were going to kill it, but we didn't. We left it there. And it—it came here. And—"

"It's not your fault," Daryl stopped her.

"But we probably led it here—"

Daryl shook his head, "Walkers are gonna roam around aimlessly. It just wound up here by chance." He could understand why she was feeling guilty—Daryl had been there plenty of times. But he knew the guilt would eat her alive. She didn't need that looming over her head.

"You're not… mad?" Leah wiped under her eyes before the tears could fall. Had she expected him to be mad at her?

"I'm a little upset that ya took off without telling me. But I am glad that you came to me about it now." Daryl paused, "And it sounds like I'm gonna have a word with Carl after this is all said and done."

"It's not his fault—" Leah blurted. "Really. It was his idea but he didn't force me to go with him or anything. It was my decision to follow."

"Ya afraid I'm gonna embarrass your boyfriend?" Daryl raised an eyebrow. As much as he didn't want to think about that, he figured it was the one sure fire way to get a smile on Leah's face—which it did. And her cheeks turned bright red.

"He's not my boyfriend," Leah mumbled.

* * *

Daryl spotted Carl sitting by himself on the Greene's front porch steps. He was picking at the grass and throwing the green strands back on the ground into a pile. The boy's head shot up to catch Daryl walking towards him and as soon as he realized Daryl was staring at him, his eyes grew wide.

"I'm not here to yell at ya. That's your parent's job," Daryl started. He sighed as he sat down next to Carl on the front steps. They had a perfect view of everyone over at their little camp.

"So Leah told you?" Carl asked.

"Yeah, she did." Daryl leaned back on his hands and glanced over at Rick's son. He could tell the kid had grown up quite a bit even since the quarry, and that seemed like it was hardly any time at all. And for some reason, that made him realize how fast Leah was growing up too.

"I don't know what she told you, but it was _my_ fault. Not hers. I found a gun on your bike and I took it. We came across a walker and I was going to shoot it but I got scared… The same walker that killed Dale," Carl confessed.

"Look, I'm gonna tell ya the same thing I told Leah. It's not your fault, you can't think that. It'll only wear ya down." Daryl continued, "You're still a kid. Keep your chin up."

Carl smiled faintly. At least that was a good sign.

"Is that the only reason you're sitting over here by yourself?" Daryl questioned.

Carl glanced over at him a moment before switching his gaze back out at the camp, sighing. "My mom and dad are arguing a lot. It was bad before all of this—the walkers. And I don't know what to do."

"Your folks are just stressed is all. Go easy on 'em. Things will all work out in the end… And if they don't, then it's not the end," Daryl shrugged.

Carl slowly nodded, "Yeah… I guess."

"Hey, Carl. Can you come here for a minute?" Rick called out to his son, halfway between them and the group. Carl immediately looked back at Daryl.

"Why don't you go see what your old man wants."

"You're not gonna tell my dad, are you?" Carl's voice sounded a little panicked. Daryl couldn't help but feel a stab of pain in that, like the harsh memories of his own childhood coming back to bite him.

"Nah, it's between you and me. You can tell him whatever you want. You're okay and that's the main thing, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Carl forced a small smile before he hopped up to his feet.

"And hey, Carl?" Daryl caught his attention before he went back with Rick. "If you're gonna be hanging around Leah, you mind trying to be a _good_ influence on her for once?"

Carl's face turned red and he quickly nodded, "Yeah. No more trouble."

"Good, let's keep it that way."


	19. The Truth

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Once again, me complaining about my writing… I feel like these last two chapters have been a bit choppy. So I apologize if it seems that way to you too. Hoping the chapters to come will spark some erm… excitement!

* * *

_**The Truth.**_

"Shane—stop! Let go of me!"

Daryl could see the scene play out before him. Olivia was trying to walk away from Shane but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. He was saying something to her but Daryl couldn't hear from where he stood. But if Shane didn't let up in two seconds, Daryl was going to interfere.

"You're an asshole! Just stop! I don't want to be with you!" Olivia hit Shane in the chest with her free hand, still trying to pull away from his grasp.

Before Daryl could even walk over there, Lori and Rick were on Shane's case. Lori started off yelling while Rick pulled Shane's hand off of Olivia's arm. Then they switched roles as Rick gave Shane a piece of his mind while Lori walked with Olivia, away from the whole scene and shooting glares back at the lunatic.

"…What's going on?" Skyler joined Daryl's side just as Rick was finishing up his lecture to Shane.

"Shane being Shane," Daryl shrugged. "Something between him and Olivia now."

Skyler sighed, "I told her it wasn't a good idea to get close to him." She shook her head as she walked off towards Lori and Olivia to make sure she was okay. Which seemed to work out just fine since Rick was waving Daryl over.

"What's up?" Daryl glanced back and forth between Rick and Shane a moment before Rick led Daryl over to the hood of the old Suburban. Rick had the map laid out and it was obvious he had some plans.

"Thinking about taking Randall out and dropping him off, leaving him to fend on his own. It's what Dale wanted… and I want to honor his last wish," Rick explained.

"Yeah, sounds good to me."

"I was also thinking, if you don't mind… that you and I could take care of this. Everyone else will be fine until we get back. We can talk over the plans more in depth a little later." Rick cast a subtle sideways glance in Shane's direction. It didn't go unnoticed by Daryl though, and it made perfectly clear sense.

Daryl nodded in understanding and assumed that was Rick's way of telling him that he was dismissed for the time being. And before he was out of earshot, he could hear Shane complain to Rick:

"You wanna take Daryl as your wingman? Be my guest."

* * *

Leah kept herself fairly busy and her mind occupied as she sneaked around with Sophia. She was glad Sophia was feeling better now because what they were doing was strictly off limits to Carl. It was Leah's idea to spy on the adults and specifically, follow Shane around. She couldn't do this with Carl because he liked Shane.

They made it into a sort of 'investigation'. Since Leah told Sophia that Shane was lying about finding her, it only made Sophia that much more curious. She was eager to play along. Besides, what the adults didn't know—or see—wouldn't hurt them.

They couldn't follow Shane when he left with the vehicle to work on something. They would have been caught. But they could see that Lori had walked all the way out there to talk to him.

And it was a little later that day when Shane had come back. Leah and Sophia were hiding around the corner of the house watching while Rick and Daryl were talking through their plans on the porch. They weren't even aware of the kids sneaking around yet.

Leah listened in on the conversation between Daryl and Rick. By the sounds of it, they were going to head out about an hour away to drop Randall off. Apparently Carol had put together some food and water for him to make it at least a couple days wherever they were going to take him. But it was when Shane exited the vehicle and headed for the porch that things turned interesting. Daryl excused himself and headed inside before Shane reached the edge of the porch. Leah had been partially waiting for this moment, curious how Shane would react to Rick.

"You talk to Carl?" Shane began.

"About what? Yesterday?" Rick stared down at him, leaning against the railing.

"Yeah. He seems real upset. The fact that he came to me made me wonder if you have even talked to him yet."

Sophia inched forward a little more to get a better view from around Leah. "I see what you mean by Carl wouldn't be a good choice for this. Glad he isn't with us right now," She whispered.

Leah nodded and tuned back into what they were saying, Shane picking it back up first. "…I think he needs his father. That's all I'm saying."

"This Randall situation needs to be taken care of." Rick stood back up straight and rested his hands on his hips.

"Man, I think it can wait. This is Carl we're talking about," Shane paused. "I could ride out with Daryl. It'd be good for us to spend a little time together."

Leah started shaking her head to herself. There was _no_ way she was going to let Daryl leave with Shane. Rick was one thing, but not Shane.

"Nah, I need you here." Rick seemed to narrow his eyes. Maybe he felt the same way Leah did. Regardless, she felt relieved.

"Whatever, man. Suit yourself. I would just think that, you being a father and all, you'd want to make sure your son was doing okay. But if Randall is more important to you…" Shane nodded, letting his words trail off.

"I didn't say that. I just want this taken care of and I want to do this myself," Rick lowered his voice.

"Don't think I'll do it right?" Shane asked with a sneer.

"I think you'd come back alone. Just like you did with Otis." Rick stared hard at Shane in that moment before he finally broke the glare and turned his back on him. He headed inside the house leaving Shane by himself still at the foot of the stairs leading up to the porch. Shane laughed to himself, shaking his head as he walked back towards the camp.

So Rick _did_ know about Shane killing Otis. And he apparently thought Randall _and_ Daryl's lives would be at stake if Shane took Rick's place.

Rick's words made Leah shuddered. She glanced over at Sophia but could tell that she was confused. She wasn't here when any of it happened, though neither was Leah. But Leah had heard bits and pieces of information from Daryl and Dale's conversation. And just the thought of Dale made her heart hurt again.

"Wait… Shane's a killer or something?" Sophia questioned.

Leah nodded, "I think so."

* * *

Daryl was just getting ready to go find Rick and see about when he wanted to leave. But it seemed like right at that moment he could hear T-Dog in a panic walking across the yard.

"Yo—Randall's gone!" T-Dog spoke loud and clear, no mistaking the words that came out of his mouth.

"What?—What do you mean _gone_?" Lori stared hard at T-Dog.

"I don't know, man. I just went down there to go and check him out. He's gone." T-Dog shook his head, "He must have slipped out when we weren't paying attention."

Leah immediately found Daryl's side and stayed close to him as everyone walked down to the barn to get a better look at the scene. Daryl and Rick took a step inside to have a look. The handcuffs were still there and secured. They exchanged looks and seemed to read each other's mind. It didn't seem possible for Randall to slip out of them.

"Rick!—Rick!" Shane suddenly emerged from the woods nearby, his nose busted up with blood on his face to accompany the bruises.

"What happened?—" Lori panicked.

"Are you okay?" Carl's voice was full of concern.

"I'm fine. But he clocked me in the head and knocked me out, took my gun. That son of a bitch is out there armed."

"Hershel, T-Dog—get everyone back inside! We're going after him. Daryl, Glenn—I want you two to come with us," Rick commanded.

"No way," Maggie shook her head.

"I'll be fine, Maggie," Glenn reassured her.

"Hey, T. I'm gonna need that gun," Shane approached the man, his arm outstretched. T-Dog handed the gun over and Shane immediately loaded it.

Daryl was trying to watch Shane's movements among all the chaos. He had no problem going out into the woods to try and help track Randall. He just had a funny feeling about all of it.

"Just let him go. Wasn't that the plan? To just let him go?" Carol looked back and forth between Rick and Shane.

"Far away from here. Not on our front steps and not with a gun," Rick retorted, anger showing in his voice. "Everyone get inside now!"

"But you don't know what's out there—" Amy tried.

"C'mon, let's get back inside," Andrea grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her along. Everyone began to run back for the house. They were thinking Randall could be anywhere out there armed with Shane's pistol. Daryl thought otherwise.

"Daryl…" Leah still stood by his side. Skyler wasn't far.

"Don't worry 'bout Randall. Kid doesn't seem too bright." Daryl gave Leah's shoulder a squeeze.

"I'm not worried about Randall," Leah confessed.

"I'll be fine. Ain't nothing to worry about."

"Just… be careful. Stay safe." Skyler glanced over towards Shane, Rick, and Glenn. Daryl figured that was what they were both hinting at, a particular someone was up to something.

Daryl gave them a nod to dismiss them as they headed back for the house. Daryl had his crossbow on his shoulder as he followed Rick, Shane, and Glenn into the woods.

"You said he knocked you out?" Rick questioned as they kept walking.

"Yeah. Used a damn rock and hit me in the face. He took off with my gun before I could get a grip on anything and I passed out," Shane explained. He seemed busy keeping his eyes focused on the ground.

Rick looked over to Daryl, "Can you track it?"

Daryl was already searching the ground for any sign of movement. All he could come up with though was a ground full of dead leaves and twigs. "Nah, nothing."

"Man, don't waste your time trying to track him. He's out here somewhere. And when I find that son of a bitch, he's gonna wish he was dead…" Shane muttered.

"You're an ex cop and you're trying to tell us he got the jump on you? The kid could barely walk last I checked." Daryl glanced over in Shane's direction and caught a slight glare from the corner of Shane's eyes.

"Let's just drop it. Our main priority is to find Randall. Let's split up so we can cover more ground. I'll stick with Shane, you two head east. But remember, Randall isn't the only threat out there."

* * *

After seemingly walking in circles for what felt like hours, Daryl was getting fed up. He couldn't see any sign of footprints or a traveled path. He couldn't see much of anything since the sun set.

"Gimme the flashlight," Daryl stuck his hand out to take it from Glenn. He clicked it on and searched the ground as thoroughly as he could.

"So what do you really think happened to Randall?" Glenn questioned.

"I don't know… I don't believe he got the jump on Shane. Kid's too weak to pull that kind of shit," Daryl admitted.

They walked in silence for a short while with nothing but the sounds of their breathing and a few wild animals off in the distance. A few owls hooting, nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hey, I got something here," Daryl waved Glenn over. He pointed down at the ground, "Shane must have followed Randall longer than he thought. But it looks like they were walking in tandem." They took a few more steps, Glenn following Daryl as he pointed out another spot. "Something went down here."

"What do you mean? Like… Randall must have attacked him here?"

Daryl looked over at the nearest tree and squinted, shining the light on it. "There's blood on the tree. Now is it just me or is this starting to add up to you?" He glanced back at Glenn.

"Shane's lying then. But where's Randall?..." Glenn searched the surrounding area.

There was a sudden snap of a branch nearby, footsteps belonging to a human. Daryl quickly ducked behind a tree and Glenn went the opposite direction of him behind a different tree. Daryl whistled softly and tossed the flashlight back to Glenn as he prepared his crossbow. He gave Glenn a nod before they both leapt out from behind the trees, the footsteps almost on top of them now. But when Glenn shone the light onto the figure, they were both taken by surprise. It was Randall. And he was a walker.

Randall made a move for Glenn, his jaw snapping, as Glenn tripped backwards and fell to the ground. Daryl shot a bolt at Randall's head but ended up missing as Randall had moved just at the last second. The bolt had caught his attention as Randall was now lunging at Daryl before he could reload his crossbow. Daryl didn't have the time or space to prepare for Randall's attack as he kept the crossbow as steady as could be in front of him, providing a barrier between him and Randall's still snapping jaw. There was a faint pain from where the bolt had penetrated through his left side and he felt his left arm slightly give out, struggling to keep Randall's walker body at bay. He was pinned against the tree he took cover behind just moments ago.

Glenn pulled Randall off of him though and managed to throw him to the ground. Before Randall could even react, Glenn had brought the machete down over his head. Randall's groans and growls came to a halt as the black blood oozed around the edges of the machete still intact.

"Nice." Daryl gave Glenn a pat on the back. It was his way of saying thanks without having to actually say it.

Glenn pulled the machete back out of Randall's head with a squelch and grimaced. Daryl grabbed the flashlight back from him and started looking over Randall's body. Right off hand, he couldn't see anything that resembled a bite from a walker or even blood from any sort of wound.

"He got his neck broke…" Daryl examined the odd way Randall's neck looked before he started to lift his shirt and check him over thoroughly for any bites. He even rolled him over and came up empty. "He's got no bites."

"None that you can see," Glenn muttered.

"No, I'm telling you. He died from this," Daryl pointed at his neck.

"How is that even possible?" Glenn sounded confused as the two exchanged glances.

Daryl shook his head and got back to his feet. But that was when they were thrown off yet again by the crack of a gunshot from deeper in the woods. Daryl and Glenn exchanged glances again, adding that much more to the confusion.

"Do you think…?" Glenn's voice trailed off.

"We gotta find Rick."


	20. Wake The Dead

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** And _action!_

* * *

_**Wake The Dead.**_

Usually when a gunshot was heard, common sense would send you running in the opposite direction. It wasn't that Daryl and Glenn didn't have common sense… But they were running full force towards the sound, frantic to find out the truth about the shot.

Rick was with Shane and that was all Daryl could think about. He hoped Rick was smart enough to pick up on all the obvious cues. Maybe he should have just been straight forward and told him that his best friend was a psychopath.

As they ran through the trees as fast as their feet could carry them, they could see a clearing up ahead. Daryl was just a few steps in front of Glenn and he could make out a figure lying on the ground.

"Rick!—" Daryl made it to his side first, Glenn walking around to take the opposite side. He could see the blood that soaked through Rick's shirt indicating that the gunshot they heard had been aimed at him. Daryl moved Rick's hand from the wound and bit his lip. Shane shot him. Shane had led him all the way out here by himself and took the shot. Shane had this all planned out. He'd frame Randall then make himself look like the hero. Bet he never thought about Daryl and Glenn finding him though. "Hey, hang in there. We'll get ya back to Hershel."

Rick slowly nodded, his eyes clamped shut as he held his hand back down over the gunshot wound to his abdomen. "Shane… He took off. I—I couldn't do it…"

Daryl placed his hand on Rick's shoulder to let him know he was there for him. He quickly glanced around to make sure Shane wasn't still lurking in the shadows somewhere. He knew firsthand that he was number two on Shane's shit list and he didn't need a surprise attack.

"Help me get him back up and on his feet. Then I want you to make a run for it back to the house and round everyone up. Let them know what's going on and stay away from Shane if you see him," Daryl ordered. He grabbed Rick from under his arm as Glenn did the same and they hoisted the man back to his feet. Rick's breathing picked up a bit as his face scrunched together in pain. Daryl pulled his arm around the back of his neck and held his wrist while he grabbed his side with his free arm to make sure he was secure. "Alright, I got him. Now go!"

Glenn nodded and took off running towards the house. It was then that Daryl looked out and really noticed how far away they truly were. He cursed under his breath. He could only hope that Rick would last that long.

"I knew he was trying to kill me… I could just tell… The look—the look in his eyes…" Rick muttered.

"Yeah, but he didn't succeed. And he ain't goin' to," Daryl reassured him. If Shane was to make another appearance, Daryl wouldn't think twice about killing the man. He already didn't like him. But shooting Rick? Actually going through with the crazy? That was drawing the line.

"But I couldn't kill him. He pointed that gun at me and I couldn't even raise mine."

Daryl noticed Rick still had the Colt Python hanging in its holster at his hip. Shane shot him down completely unarmed. That didn't really surprise him though. "Makes you the better man in this situation."

"You know, this is how it all started. I was shot on the job, fell into a coma. I woke up to this world." It was like the confessions just kept spilling from Rick. Daryl wasn't sure if he just wanted to talk, if he thought he was dying, or if all the blabbing made him concentrate on something other than his pain.

"I bet that was one hell of a wakeup call," Daryl mumbled. "How're ya doing now?"

"Holding up," Rick breathed. He stopped for a moment, making Daryl stop with him. And Daryl waited to continue walking until Rick took the first step. They were moving at a slow pace but it was manageable. As long as Rick didn't pass out on him, he'd be able to get him back to the house safely. Then Hershel could fix him up and they could deal with Shane.

Daryl was ripped from his thoughts as he heard a familiar growl nearby. He felt as though his heart stopped. He was afraid to turn around, fearing that there were walkers closing in on them. He hoped that maybe he was just hearing things. But when he forced himself to look back he thought for sure they were going to be torn to shreds within minutes. There was a whole damn _herd_ of walkers spewing out from every direction. Where they were even coming from was beyond Daryl. All he knew was that they were entirely outnumbered and Rick was rendered useless in warding them off.

"Shit…" Daryl's mind raced. How could he get Rick back to safety and make it out of all this?

"Just leave me. You can make it back." Rick's voice cracked, his hand still gripping the wound.

"Are you fucking nuts? I ain't leaving you here to be ripped apart!" Daryl retorted.

"You'll never make it if you keep dragging me along and you can't take them all on by yourself."

Daryl was beginning to get frustrated at Rick's words. He wasn't about to leave Rick behind but he wasn't about to just give up either. He'd figure something out. Somehow…

"Hang on—" Daryl released his hold on Rick and lowered him down to his knees gently. He still had his crossbow strapped across his back but he figured his knife was better equipped for this. His eyes scanned the area as he tried to count the encircling herd, losing count after fifteen. They just seemed to keep coming.

Daryl drove his knife into the nearest walker's head as it was beginning to close in. He took it down with no problem as he moved onto the next one, repeating the procedure. He ran back to the other side of Rick and quickly grabbed the walker that was about six feet away from the injured man. It bared its rotten teeth and tried to push itself forward but Daryl brought the knife down into its head and dropped it flat on the ground. He quickly wiped his hand off on his pant leg so he could get a better grip on the knife.

Daryl had the knife stabbed into the next walker's head just as he felt a hand gripping at the back of his shirt. He froze for a moment before he felt another hand grab onto his left arm and when he looked down he felt his stomach roil. It was decayed flesh and he could see a hint of bone under the skin. He fumbled to pull the knife free, panicked, until he heard a gunshot. Blood splatter followed as he could feel it hit the back of his neck, cringing. He finally yanked the knife out of the walker's head and turned to see Rick back on his feet, revolver in hand.

In Daryl's eyes, there was no time for thanks. They were quickly becoming swarmed, boxed in like wounded animals. Daryl slid the crossbow off his shoulder and pulled the trigger on a walker with another headshot just as Rick shot one closing in on him. Rick was fighting through the pain a lot better than Daryl could have ever imagined. Adrenaline had to be playing a major role.

Just as Daryl made his way back over to Rick's side, practically back to back, more gunshots rang out.

"Rick!—Daryl!" They both looked over just in time to see Alex and Andrew running to the rescue.

"We heard the gunshots and came running," Alex explained briefly. "Glenn told us what happened."

"We'll hold off the walkers. Get Rick back to the house," Andrew demanded as he took down another walker.

Daryl didn't hesitate. He knew there was no point in arguing and he'd just have to put a little faith in the two men as he assisted Rick once more, heading for the house. There was a bit of a gap between them and Andrew, Alex, and the walkers before Daryl noticed Glenn and T-Dog running out to meet them.

"How's he doing?" Glenn asked, his voice full of panic. He glanced behind them and took note of all the walkers. "Holy shit—"

"Yeah… Kind of what I was thinkin'," Daryl muttered.

With T-Dog on Rick's other side and Glenn keeping an eye out for walkers, they managed to finally make it back to the house. Lori was screaming her husband's name, tears streaming down her face as she ran towards them. Hershel followed in pursuit as he was already aware of the situation.

"Bring him up this way and get him inside. We'll have better lighting in there," Hershel ushered them along as Daryl swapped places with Glenn.

"Oh, my God—You're saying that _Shane_ did this?" Lori's eyes were wide with fear, staring at Daryl for a confirmation. She made to follow after the men who were assisting Rick but Daryl lightly grabbed her by her arm to stop her.

"Where is he?" Daryl questioned. He had already scanned the area over and didn't see Shane among the group. He assumed half of the group was inside still.

Lori shook her head, her mouth agape. "He… he never came this way. None of us have seen him since you all left for the woods."

Daryl released Lori's arm and bit his tongue. It still didn't keep him from lashing out though. "What do ya mean he never came this way?—Then where the hell'd he go!" As if the walkers weren't bad enough, now they had to worry about Shane being somewhere out there in the night, armed?

Carol and Skyler came rushing out of the house in that instant, the screen door slamming shut behind them. They had fear written clear as day across their faces, even close to tears.

"The kids are gone!" Carol shrieked. "They were upstairs and I—we—"

"_What?_ Carl?—" Lori quickly turned to face the women. She looked like she was about to collapse. She had just learned that Shane shot Rick, Shane was nowhere to be found, and now Carl was missing.

Daryl closed the gap between him and Skyler, "Leah? Leah's gone?"

Skyler placed a hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach. She looked like she could be sick. "They were all upstairs last we knew. We never heard them leave but they're not here."

"You people couldn't keep an eye on them?!" Daryl jabbed his finger towards the house, glaring at Skyler then at Carol. "For fuck's sake!"

"I—I think I overheard them talking earlier. Something about the barn?" Amy spoke up, her voice shaky.

Daryl switched his gaze to the young blonde, her pale eyes staring back at him. "You best pray you're right." He didn't even give it any thought, he just bolted for the barn. He could hear a couple people yell out to him but there was no way he was stopping. He had to find Leah. And hell, he had to find Carl and Sophia—_again_.

Daryl unsheathed the knife from off his belt and took out two walkers near the barn door before he could get inside. The dead were closing in fast and he was running out of time. "Leah!" He tried calling out to her, his eyes searching. A walker that had made it into the barn turned to him at that moment and he drove the blade through its head before it could even really make a move. He was pissed first of all, and he was scared. He didn't see any sign of the kids and walkers were already getting inside the barn.

"Daryl?" He looked up to see Leah slightly leaning over the edge of the second story. "Daryl—I'm sorry!" Her voice was shaky and he could tell that she was close to tears.

"Just stay there! Wait for my call." Daryl felt a wave of relief wash over him as the worst thoughts that he could imagine vanished. He turned back around to face the walkers. They were stumbling in through the door with their arms outstretched and gurgling. They were headed straight for Daryl assuming that he was an easy prey, but that's where they thought wrong.

Daryl slid the crossbow off his shoulder and immediately took aim, shooting one down, reloading, then shooting another. "Start climbing down!" He shouted back to the kids having double checked to make sure the barn was clear. The walkers were mostly piling up at the door now but Daryl didn't plan on letting them slide passed.

Once Leah, Carl, and Sophia were all behind him, he made an attempt to exit the barn. It seemed like all of the walkers were distracted by the others who were now shooting, the gunshots evident. But a figure suddenly popped up in the doorway causing each and every one of them to jump. Daryl had immediately readied his knife and Sophia let out a high pitched scream before they realized who it was.

"Jesus Christ…" Daryl sighed, staring back at Andrew. "You tryin'a get yourself killed?"

"Trying to save your asses," Andrew retorted. "Come on!" He ushered them out of the barn and Daryl allowed the kids to all go first before he and Andrew followed behind.

"Where's Alex?" Daryl questioned. He noticed he was missing and already had a sinking feeling.

"Got bit. Walker got him by the arm. Saved my life, gave me enough time to make a run for it while he kept fighting 'em off," Andrew briefly explained. He seemed a bit perturbed but was holding himself together pretty well.

Daryl quickly glanced behind them and noticed that Alex was nowhere to be seen. He must have already gone down. He couldn't work up any sort of reply to Andrew in the moment. All he could think about was how goofy that guy was, and friggin' Spongebob Squarepants. Maybe that was a good thing. At least it was a positive memory of him…

"Sophia!" Carol gasped, running out to her daughter as they approached the group. She wrapped her up into a hug just as Lori was doing the same to Carl, her face tear stained.

Skyler ran to Leah and quickly hugged her, kissing her on the forehead. Then she made her way over to Daryl and hugged him. Daryl wasn't expecting that, let alone the kiss she planted on his cheek making him flinch. The close contact made him feel uncomfortable as his face began to feel a bit warm.

"Thank you," Skyler whispered near his ear before she let go of him and took a few steps back. Daryl forced himself to nod before he looked back at Leah to make sure she was okay.

Glenn emerged from the house with Maggie right behind him. "We've gotta go. Lori, Carl—get to the RV. T-Dog and Hershel are gonna get Rick."

Lori had her hands rested on Carl's shoulders as she nodded her head in response. She took Carl's hand and ran towards the RV with Glenn and Maggie. Maggie quickly grabbed Beth and pulled her along.

Walkers were beginning to close in around the house as Andrew, Olivia, Jimmy, and Andrea were trying to shoot them. The gunfire wasn't making things any better though. If anything, it was drawing them closer.

"Go, go, go! We don't have time!" T-Dog yelled at everyone as he now emerged from the house helping Hershel support Rick. "The farm is gone! We have to go!"

It was complete chaos. With it being night and walkers everywhere, it was hard to really tell what was going on. There were a few screams as everyone started to make a run for the vehicles, getting separated from the group. Daryl kept a firm grip on Leah's hand as he led her over to the others with Skyler by his side. He caught a glimpse of T-Dog hopping into Otis' truck with Olivia and Amy.

"Andrew!" Daryl called out to the man, making him stop and turn back. "Take Leah with you. Keep her safe."

"No—Daryl—" Leah's eyes widened in fear as she gripped his hand tighter.

"Listen to me, you'll be okay. We'll all be okay. I can't take you with me on the Triumph, alright? Andrew will keep an eye on ya until we meet back up." Daryl gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before he kissed her on top of her head.

"I got her," Andrew nodded. He placed a hand on Leah's back and led her towards the Hyundai where Lucas, Carol, and Sophia were in sight.

"Alright, c'mon," Daryl led Skyler to the motorcycle, bashing a walker upside the head with the crossbow in the process.

* * *

By the time everyone had made it back to the highway where they had left the supplies for Sophia, it was like a happy reunion. Everyone was jumping out of their vehicles and hugging each other thankful to be alive. Leah immediately ran to Skyler and Daryl as they joined the group. It didn't seem like one person got out of that mess without being covered in walker blood to some extent. Everyone was exhausted.

"Andrea?" Amy's voice cracked as she searched for her sister among everyone.

"We're missing people…" Maggie was the first to point it out. "Where are Jimmy and Patricia?"

"And Andrea and Alex," Lucas glanced around. He took a hold of Amy's hand to try and keep her calm.

"Maybe they're in a different car? Maybe they're not here yet?" Glenn scratched the back of his neck.

Andrew shook his head, "Alex isn't coming back."

"I saw Jimmy get attacked…" Olivia mumbled. She felt bad that there was nothing she could do.

Beth gripped onto Maggie for support at Olivia's words as she choked out, "Patricia didn't make it either. A walker got her just before… before she could…"

"I think I saw Andrea go down too," Carol whispered, hugging Sophia close as she bowed her head in sympathy.

"We have to go back!" Amy blurted, shaking her head and wiping her face free of tears. "We have to! My sister—"

Daryl was about to speak up, to volunteer to go back. It was still possible that Andrea could be alive. Carol's words weren't very reassuring, not as much as the others. But Hershel emerged from the RV with his hands covered in blood and he felt his stomach drop at the sight. _Rick._

"We can't risk it. We need everyone here, no more splitting up. Our group is weak enough as it is," Hershel spoke. He pulled a rag from his back pocket and tried to wipe his hands clean. Lori and Carl had yet to exit the RV. Carl didn't even know what happened, he just had to stumble upon the news that his dad had been shot.

"How's Rick?" Daryl stepped forward a bit. Curiosity and panic was eating away at him now.

"He's stable. The bullet went through clean, no fragments." Hershel didn't provide much detail but it was enough to put Daryl at ease.

"We need to keep moving. We can set up camp somewhere. We can't risk that herd of walkers coming this direction." T-Dog folded his arms in front of his chest.

"But my sister's still out there!" Amy cried. Lucas pulled her against his chest now. He was the only one who could begin to settle her down as he rubbed her back.

T-Dog sighed, "We won't go far."

Nobody wanted to leave Andrea behind but T-Dog had a point. They had to make sure they weren't at risk of that same herd of walkers finding them again. Their losses were great enough. So Andrea might still be alive out there, as well as Shane. No one knew where either of them were. Odds are they were dead or long gone, having made an escape from the farm. There was no telling now unless they ran into each other. Daryl could only hope that Shane went down with the others they lost to the walkers.


	21. Coming Clean

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Wow, it's hard to believe this is chapter 21 already. Crazy! This chapter might be a bit crazy too, just as a forewarning. "And here… we… go!"

* * *

_**Coming Clean.**_

"My sister is _dead_ because of you—she's _dead!_" Skyler stood in front of Daryl, her face contorted with rage. Her fists were clenched down at her sides as her glare was locked onto him, unforgiving.

Daryl felt like he was paralyzed. He couldn't force himself to speak, he couldn't force himself to even move. Yet here they stood in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by nothing but the woods. There was no one else around and Skyler had him dead center.

When Daryl refocused his stare on her, he noticed she was reaching behind her back. He watched her as she pulled a pistol from her waistband and ever so carefully loaded the gun. With a steady hand, she rested her finger against the trigger and had it aimed right for his chest.

"This is all your fault," she growled. "Elena's death. And Merle. You left your own brother behind for _dead_."

Daryl slowly raised his arms up to show that he wasn't a threat, that he would never hurt her. But what difference did it make now? She didn't look like she was about to back down anytime soon. She was right, after all. He should have never left Elena alone—he should have been there to protect her. And he should have never left Merle. Hell, he should have gone into Atlanta _instead_ of Merle and none of this would have happened. He should have gone back for Elena even though he knew she was bit. He should have had the decency to at least have gone back to put her to rest. But he couldn't even imagine putting a bullet in her head. There was no way.

Skyler pulled the trigger and Daryl flinched, ducking down and just barely avoiding the bullet as it flew passed. But a figure from behind him caught his eye as he slowly turned to look back.

"Elena—Merle—" Daryl stared back at them. They were standing right there in front of him, completely unharmed—just like he remembered them. He felt a sort of pressure in his chest making it harder for him to breathe. He swore he wouldn't allow himself to break down. But this didn't seem real.

_They're dead because of you. _

Daryl shook his head and closed his eyes, dropping to his knees.

"You did this to them, Daryl. Get a good hard look." Skyler's voice brought Daryl's attention back to Merle and Elena as he reopened his eyes. But he immediately wished he hadn't.

"No… No…" Daryl fell back and began to push himself away from them. They were both walkers. Elena's shoulder had been torn open and drenched with blood. Her eyes were a pale cloudy blue that seemed to pierce right through him. And Merle. Merle's right hand was missing, cut clean off as blood still oozed from the amputation. His eyes were now the same as Elena's, cold and lifeless.

Daryl forced himself back to his feet and tore his stare away from them, biting down hard on his lip. He looked back at Skyler and that's when he realized she had lowered the pistol. Not only that, but walkers were beginning to flood all around them. They were coming in from every angle, suffocating and leaving Daryl nowhere to back up to for safety. He quickly reached for the strap to his crossbow only to realize he didn't have it. It wasn't on his back or hanging from his shoulder, it was just completely gone. Then he reached blindly for his knife and came up empty handed.

"Skyler!—" Daryl bolted for her just as a walker grabbed her by the arm and tore through her skin. She didn't move a muscle. She just stood there and let the walkers tear through her.

Daryl backed away from her feeling extremely nauseated. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't save her. He let Elena and Merle die. This was all his fault.

He came to an abrupt stop once he realized he had backed straight into another figure. But the clawing hands and putrid breath was enough to tell him that it was a walker. He panicked as he tried to fight his way out of the walker's grasp, only to feel more dead hands grabbing him and pulling him back. He felt teeth sink into his right bicep just as he forced himself free. He managed to shove the walker to the ground and before he knew it, he had it pinned down by its arm with his right arm raised above his head. When did he get his knife back?...

Daryl blinked a few times as he could feel the sweat lining his face now. His vision came back into focus and it took him a moment before he recognized that the apparent walker that was once trapped under his grip was now Skyler. She looked terrified as she stared up at him, her gaze switching back and forth between him and the knife he had hovering in the air.

Holy fuck—it was a_ dream. _

Daryl released his hold on Skyler's arm and dropped the knife on the ground by his side, moving to get off of her. She must have been trying to wake him up. She must have seen that he was having a nightmare and all she wanted to do was try and help. Yet here he was, about to drive a knife through her fucking head with her pinned down.

"Christ—" Daryl let out a shaky breath and quickly exited the tent for fresh air. He felt sick to his stomach. What if he would have kept going? He was mere _inches_ from her head—mere _moments_ from killing her. All because of a fucking dream.

"Daryl—what the hell was that? Daryl, answer me!"

Daryl forced himself to stop and turn to face Skyler. But all he could see was his knife in her hands, instantly creating that pressure back in his chest as his breathing picked up. He took a few steps back and put his arms up as if to surrender, "I—I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to. I'm sorry…"

Skyler was watching his reaction with a confused look on her face. She slowly bent down to place the knife on the ground and came back up empty handed. Daryl slowly put his arms back down at his sides afterward. "…What's wrong?" Her voice was gentler than it was previously.

Daryl shook his head, "Nothing. Nothing…"

"You're shaking. Something's wrong. Please just talk to me. I'm not mad," Skyler pleaded.

Daryl forced a scoff, "I almost killed you and you're gonna tell me you're not mad?"

"I'm not mad, Daryl. You scared me, but I'm not mad." Skyler was staring at him, still seeming to watch his every move. "Please, just talk to me. What's going on?"

Daryl remained silent as he broke the stare, feeling that much more uncomfortable with Skyler's eyes looming at him. Why in the world did he have to have that dream? Or better yet, why couldn't he have just woke up on his own so that _this_ wouldn't have happened? Now Skyler wasn't going to leave him alone. He felt horrible enough as it was.

"Does it have something to do with… with the scars?" Skyler's voice seemed to lower to almost a whisper but her words snapped his attention right back to her.

"What?" Daryl stared back at her now. Not only did he just about kill her but now she was aware of his scars? Boy did this day just keep getting better and better.

"I… walked in on you changing your shirt a few days ago…" Skyler confessed. She lowered her head appearing to feel guilty but whatever she _was_ feeling, it was nothing in comparison.

Daryl really didn't want to lash out at her again so he did the only other thing he could. He turned his back to her and started to walk away. Now all he could think was that he was glad Leah wasn't there to see all of this. Lucky for him, Leah slept in the RV to keep Carl company while the kid didn't want to leave his dad's side.

"I'm sorry—just _talk_ to me! Maybe I can help?" Skyler was following after him, he could hear her footsteps as her voice became nearer.

Daryl stopped abruptly and turned on his heels, letting the anger take over. "No. No, you can't help. Just… Just fucking drop it." He was glad his voice held up as he was able to still sound bitter, masking everything else. That was all he had left.

* * *

Leah sat at the table in the RV swinging her legs carelessly. She had woken up not too long ago and realized that she was alone. She figured Carl was either with his mom or they were both with Rick in the back of the RV. The curtain was drawn though and she couldn't hear any voices right off hand.

They traveled a bit of a distance along the road until the Hyundai ran out of gas. So they had to pull over and call it a night, setting up camp. Leah wanted to stay with Carl and make sure he was doing okay. He had no idea that his dad got shot just like when Leah witnessed Daryl returning injured. She knew how scared she felt when it happened to Daryl so she could only imagine Carl felt just as bad now.

Leah perked up as she heard a shuffling of feet and noticed it was Carl. "Hey, how is everything?"

Carl shrugged, "He's doing okay. I guess."

"And how are you doing?" Leah watched him as he slunk down into the bench seat across from her. She could tell he was depressed.

"I just can't believe Shane would have done that. Shane would never hurt my dad," Carl blurted. He rested his elbows on the table and plopped his head down on his hands, sighing.

"I'm sorry…" Leah mumbled. She figured now wasn't the time to rub it in his face and let him know how much she despised Shane. She felt bad because Carl truly did like him. And underneath it all, Leah figured she would have liked Shane too—if he hadn't attacked Daryl.

"It's okay. Nothing you can do about it," Carl muttered, glancing over towards the window.

"I still feel bad," she admitted. "I'm gonna go outside and get some fresh air. You should come too." Leah got to her feet and waited for Carl to follow but he stayed put.

"You go ahead. I'm just gonna stay with my mom and dad."

Carl's words stung a bit and Leah wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe because she didn't have her mom and dad. She never really did have her dad. Or maybe it was because she was really hoping Carl would come with her. Either way, she didn't want the gloominess to become contagious so she figured that she'd seek out Sophia if nothing else.

Everyone seemed to be a mess after everything that happened. Beth and Amy seemed to be the most upset after losing Andrea, Jimmy, and Patricia. By what she could tell, Hershel seemed okay but she hadn't seen him much since he was usually by Rick's side to make sure he was okay. Maggie stayed close to Glenn as he provided her with all the comfort that he could. Amy stayed close to Lucas.

There was small talk about going back to try and find Andrea again but it was shot down, declared unsafe. The plan was to wait it out a little while longer and see if Andrea made an appearance. If she didn't, then they'd have to move on. Leah was still a little mad over the fact that she was the one who shot Daryl, never having exchanged any words with her since to give her peace of mind. But she didn't think it was necessarily right to leave her behind if there was a chance she could still be alive out there. She felt a kind of sadness for Amy for losing her sister.

Leah sat with Carol and Sophia for most of the day after staying with Carl. Daryl seemed to keep himself busy and she didn't want to implode on him. With Rick being injured, she could see Glenn and Daryl were kind of stepping up to take his place. They were planning a couple runs to seek out some gas to siphon for the vehicles and some supplies. There was talk about trying to find the next place to hole up too.

Leah could hear Daryl say something about going out and combing through the woods to look for Andrea, saying that he'd be up for the task. Andrew volunteered to go with him but Daryl shot him down. With Glenn and T-Dog leaving, they needed everyone else to stay put and protect the camp if walkers were to come through.

Her heart sank as she saw him turn to walk away from the camp. He usually told her his plans and said he'd be back, that he'd be okay and he wouldn't be gone that long. Maybe she was just being a bit of a baby about it. She was old enough now to realize Daryl didn't always need to come to her about his plans. She even saw Skyler try to stop him, calling him by his name, and he gave her the cold shoulder. Leah wasn't sure what to really think.

* * *

Once Daryl returned back to the makeshift camp, no sightings of Andrea, he decided to go check on Rick. As he climbed the few stairs up into the RV, he realized he was still hell-bent on avoiding Skyler. He still felt guilty and ashamed. How could he explain everything going through his mind to her? She'd think he was a nutcase. Or she _would_ try to kill him if he told her everything.

Daryl lightly rapped his knuckle on the wall before the curtain and was greeted by Hershel's voice to enter. He pulled back the curtain and took a couple steps forward as he took in Lori, Carl, and Hershel's presence surrounding Rick, who was still laid up on the bed. "Just wanted to see how you were doin'."

Rick forced a small smile, "I was actually hoping you'd pop in here. I need a word with you. Uh, if you don't mind…"

Daryl shook his head and the others took that as a hint to give them some space. Lori got back on her feet as she patted her husband's arm and wiped her face. She gave Daryl a weak smile in passing as she led Carl out with her hand on his shoulder. Hershel followed after them.

Daryl shuffled over to about where Hershel was perched by the window by Rick's side. "Ya know, Glenn and I found Randall. He turned without being bit. Shane snapped his neck."

Rick let out a sigh. "That's partly what I wanted to talk to you about." He shifted a bit, trying to sit up some more as he winced in pain. "Something Jenner told me at the CDC." He paused as he looked down and Daryl wished he would just spit it out already. "…We're all infected."

Daryl blinked, confused. "What?" His mind reeled, "You're telling me that we're all gonna be one of those things when we die?" He remembered Merle saying something along the lines that if you got bit, you turned. But already having the so-called infection coursing through each and every one of them?

"That's my understanding," Rick nodded.

"And you didn't think to let anyone know until now?" Daryl narrowed his eyes.

"Now hear me out—" Rick raised his hands in the air to try and settle him back down. "There just wasn't the right time. I couldn't go off and tell everyone what Jenner said without fully knowing whether it was true or not. I couldn't risk it if it was all just a lie. But what you're telling me about Randall—it confirms it, doesn't it?"

Daryl gave it some thought and nodded, "Okay, yeah. Sure. Makes sense…" He chewed on the side of his mouth and couldn't help but wonder if there was anything else Rick was holding back about the CDC. But silence filled the air for just that moment leaving Daryl to ponder and Rick to stare at the wall ahead of him, seeming to be lost in thought himself.

"I know Shane better than anyone—and I realize how ridiculous that sounds coming from the man who got shot by him—but I know he's still out there. He can hold his own and… I'm worried he's going to come back. He's not all there in the head, ya know? Things were never like this before…" Rick slowly shook his head in disbelief.

"I could definitely tell he wasn't all there, if you're lookin' for a second opinion," Daryl crossed his arms.

Rick rubbed his face, sighing with exhaustion. His voice was quiet as he spoke, "Lori's pregnant. And all I can think about is that it's Shane's."

Daryl was a little shocked to hear of Lori being pregnant, but Rick's words were what shocked him the most. For one, Rick seemed to be confiding in him, like he had taken sane Shane's place. He wasn't sure what to really think about all of it. He felt sorry for Rick but it was all beginning to make sense. Shane lost it because he lost _everything_. The man needed power and he lost it—he lost his leadership with Rick's arrival, he lost Lori and Carl, people were looking to Rick for answers instead of him, and Rick was looking to Daryl more than him towards the end—what Shane referred to as 'Rick's wingman'. That was enough to make a man like Shane crumble.

"Don't get so worked up about it. Shane ain't gonna show his face again, and even if he somehow does, ain't nothin' gonna happen. You have Lori and Carl. And… I mean, are you even sure that… uh?" Daryl scratched the back of his neck.

"There's no guarantee that the baby is Shane's, no…" Rick shook his head.

"Then I wouldn't worry about it," Daryl reassured him. "It's your family regardless." Once Rick seemed like he had said all he was going to say, Daryl leaned forward and back onto his feet. Just as his hand landed on the curtain, Rick stopped him.

"Hey, Daryl?"

Daryl turned back to look at him, "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Daryl nodded and headed for the door. Once he stepped outside, he found Carl sitting on the pavement next to the front tire. The kid jumped to his feet at the sight of Daryl. And without a warning, Carl hugged him.

"My dad told me everything you did. How you saved him. And you found me, Leah, and Sophia," Carl let go of him and smiled. "I just wanted to say thanks."

Daryl ruffled his hair in response as he wasn't sure what to say. Carl did seem like a pretty decent kid after all. He watched as he entered back into the RV and climbed the steps, shutting the door behind him. Lori was talking with Hershel a little ways away but they had started back towards the RV at the sight of Daryl as well.

"If anything changes, let me know," Hershel veered off towards the others.

Lori locked eyes with Daryl as a small laugh that sounded much like a sob escaped her. She bit her lip as she shook her head and wrapped her arms around him now. Even though she was as frail as could be, her tiny arms squeezed him tight as her head rested against his chest for a short moment. Daryl didn't know what to do, feeling awkward. Was everyone just this touchy-feely or was it just the Grimes?

Lori took her arms back and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek, forcing a smile. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done. For saving Rick's life, and Carl's—"

"Wasn't a big deal," Daryl shrugged.

"It was to me. And to both of them. We're all grateful and I just wanted you to know that. So, thank you." Lori bowed her head as she brushed passed him and entered the RV.

_Maybe it was just the Grimes._

* * *

**Like I said, a bit crazy. But! I added in a little Rickyl moment. Sorry, but they're my favorite little OTP. Or BROTP. Bromance. You get it. **


	22. Vengeance

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I apologize for the wait. I really could not motivate myself to get this written for some reason. That and my attention span is shrinking by the day. Whoops. Side note: I'm going to Horrorhound Weekend in Cincinnati, OH! Woohoo!

* * *

_**Vengeance.**_

As night fell, Daryl had already decided he wasn't going to sleep. Even if he was, he wasn't going to where Skyler and Leah were. There was no way he was going to risk waking up like he had this morning again. Instead, he decided to walk around a bit before he eventually decided to just cave and join T-Dog on watch. He was aware of his own footsteps as about every other step a twig snapped under his weight. But he wasn't aware of the figure standing to his left holding a pistol until he heard a footstep other than his own.

"What the hell—" Daryl took a step back, squinting his eyes in the dark. He quickly realized that it was T-Dog as he heard the man sigh with relief.

"Geez… C'mon, man. Why you sneakin' around like that?" T-Dog lowered the gun.

"Who said anything 'bout sneaking? You're the one who blends in with the night," Daryl retorted.

T-Dog flashed a toothy grin, his teeth practically glowing in the dark. "Yeah, well it's not my fault your cracker ass stands out."

Daryl scoffed and couldn't help but hold back a smile, "Whatever."

"What're you doin' up anyway? I have watch tonight and I'm supposed to grab Lucas and wake him up to relieve me later." T-Dog walked back towards the RV. He quietly climbed up the ladder and perched himself on top of the roof to provide the perfect lookout. Daryl hesitantly followed, hoping they didn't wake up the Grimes who were all still inside the RV.

"Couldn't sleep," Daryl shrugged.

"I hear ya. Night time gives me the creeps anymore. It's like walkers could just come out of nowhere. And with Shane on the run… Man, I'm just paranoid. I heard you walkin' around and thought for a minute you were him. _That's_ how paranoid I am, alright?" T-Dog gushed.

"And you think blowing my brains out would have been a good idea if I was a walker or Shane?" Daryl crossed his arms.

"First you're makin' black jokes and now ya gotta go and criticize me?" He paused, "I wasn't gonna shoot. I could tell it was you once I was closer. And I wouldn't waste a bullet on a walker…" T-Dog smirked.

Daryl just shook his head. He was just giving T-Dog a hard time. Shooting a gun where they were resided within the woods would be suicide. It would probably attract walkers for miles. Another reason Daryl was thankful for his knife and crossbow, both being silent weapons.

There was a light sound of footsteps climbing up the ladder that directed their attention towards the back of the RV. Olivia climbed onto the top and they both sighed.

"You suck at watch," Daryl remarked as he turned back towards T-Dog.

"Like you saw her," T-Dog folded his arms in front of his chest.

"I'm not on watch duty…" Daryl muttered.

"Care for one more?" Olivia had her arms hugged around herself. She looked like she was a bit chilled.

"Might as well join in. Call us the insomniac trio," T-Dog joked.

"Glad I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep." She glanced over at Daryl and forced a smile, though it quickly faded. "All I can think about is Alex…"

"He was a good man," T-Dog nodded.

"Yeah, he really was…"

* * *

Once morning rolled around, Daryl noticed he must have fallen asleep at some point after Olivia joined him and T-Dog. He woke up on top of the RV with Olivia crashed not too far from where he lay, Lucas keeping watch. He sat up and rubbed his face before Lucas saw that he was awake.

"Hey, man. How was sleeping on the roof of an RV?" Lucas grinned.

"'Bout as comfortable as sleeping on the ground," Daryl grumbled in response. He gave Lucas one last look before he headed for the ladder and climbed back down. At least he wasn't haunted by another freaky dream.

They had a lot of work cut out for them. Since they had to flee the farm, they still had to seek out a new place to hole up before winter. The plan was to send Glenn and Maggie out to find more fuel and Daryl was planning on searching for their new destination. After taking a glance at the map, it seemed like there should be something nearby—at least another house.

Just as Daryl was headed for the Triumph, he was stopped by Olivia.

"You're not going alone, are you?" She followed after him, walking by his side once she caught up.

"That's the plan. I can move a whole helluva lot faster when I don't have to drag anyone with me." Daryl stopped at the motorcycle and secured the crossbow onto the back of it.

"That's stupid. You went off to try and find Andrea by yourself yesterday and—"

"And I was just fine," Daryl retorted. "Get off my back."

Olivia crossed her arms and blocked Daryl from getting onto the Triumph, "We're a group and we're sticking together. No more going off by yourself. I'm not letting you leave."

"'Cause that's really gonna work." Daryl crossed his arms as well.

"What about Leah and Skyler? You really want to do this? What if something happened?" Olivia shot back at him. She narrowed her eyes and continued to stand her ground when she realized Daryl wasn't going to say anything in response, "If you're going then take me with you. I'm a pretty good shot and I can at least watch your back."

Daryl tried to step around her but she shifted with him, continuing to block him. "If I let you come with me, will you stop nagging me?"

"Of course," Olivia replied, lightening up a bit.

Daryl sighed, "Alright. Let's go then."

* * *

After travelling for a few miles and passing a handful of walkers along the way, Daryl brought the motorcycle to a halt just outside an old two story home. Daryl had spotted a dirt road and decided to give it a shot considering it was a sign there had to be _something_ at the end of it. It was the only house around.

"Alright. What'd ya say we take a look around?" Daryl waited for Olivia to slide off the back of the bike before following her lead. He grabbed his crossbow and walked by her side as they approached the front door.

"I can't believe this is the only house we've found. We must really be out in the boonies, huh?" Olivia tried to joke but only received silence.

Daryl tried the door and was thankful to find out it was unlocked. He pushed the door open the rest of the way with his foot as he readied his crossbow. He stepped into the house, realizing the front door opened up to the dining room. Beyond that, there was a kitchen and back towards the front of the house was a living room. As they made their way around, they found a small bedroom behind the stairs and three more bedrooms upstairs. The middle room upstairs contained a walker that was locked in and Daryl took care of it. Olivia was double checking the main floor over again as Daryl drug the decayed body down the steps.

"Got lucky he was the only one here. Kinda surprised, actually." Daryl hauled the body out the front door and walked back inside as he brushed his hands off on his pants.

Olivia grimaced, "Really lucky."

"Find anything useful?" Daryl joined her in the kitchen, his eyes searching the room. There were quite a few cabinets and there was an old island in the middle with a stove attached.

"Not really. I need a stealthy weapon. This gun isn't going to be my best option." Olivia waved the pistol in the air for emphasis as she sighed.

"You'll find something eventually. In the meantime, I think this is going to be our next home. At least temporarily," Daryl shrugged.

"It beats having to camp outside through the winter."

Daryl nodded and tried a door just to the right of the refrigerator. His curiosity got the best of him as he peeked into the room and quickly realized it was a laundry room. Odd place for one coming off the kitchen.

A hand suddenly clasped Daryl's shoulder and he jumped, jerking away and turning to face the figure. "What're you doin'?"

"Sorry—I didn't think it would startle you."

"It didn't…" Daryl muttered in response.

Olivia laughed, "You're too adorable."

Daryl felt his face slowly growing warm and he cleared his throat, keeping his head low as he passed through the doorway and back into the kitchen. Olivia followed after him, closing the door behind her.

"I was meaning to ask if everything was okay. I kind of thought you had a thing for Skyler but I haven't seen you two talk in a while."

"Ya know, if your goal was to come out here and make things twice as awkward than what they already are, you're succeeding." Daryl leaned against the counter and folded his arms in front of him.

"Not my intention. But seriously, what's going on? _Are_ you and Skyler a thing?" Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing that concerns you. And no," Daryl replied in as few words as possible.

"Well, damn. If I had known that, I would have made a move on you. I dig the bad boy type," Olivia grinned.

Daryl scoffed, "What, are we in high school?" He tried to keep his composure. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed at Olivia's advances. All he wanted to do now was get out of there. Damn this girl for making things awkward.

"Oh, lighten up. You're always so tense," Olivia circled around the island before leaning against it to face Daryl. "It is the end of the world ya know."

"Gee, I had no idea," Daryl rolled his eyes. "Let's just go. Make it back to the others and tell them about this house."

"Alright, alright." Olivia chased after him as he headed out through the front door.

* * *

As night approached, everyone had returned from their scouting missions. Glenn and Maggie had gone out in search of gas and came back with success. It would be enough to get them moving again at least. Once they'd get moving, they could search out more abandoned vehicles to siphon. But the plan was to stay the night and leave in the morning, never wanting to take a chance at night.

So far everything had been pretty peaceful. It was a relief after what they had been through on the farm and they had been lucky that the herd of walkers didn't find them again. Everyone managed to crowd around a low fire before settling in for the night. Even Rick had made his way out of the RV for some fresh air. Lori wasn't very pleased with his decision but she couldn't hold that against him.

Daryl glanced over at Leah beside him. He couldn't help but sense that something was wrong. She seemed distant all of a sudden, just these past couple days. She was staring into the fire and it was like she refused to look in Daryl's direction even though he was right there next to her. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but decided against it. Maybe it was something personal she didn't want to share. Maybe she was still upset over their losses. Maybe she was just getting older and reaching that rebellious stage. Daryl was absolutely clueless and he wasn't one to pry. He figured if she wanted to talk she would have already said something.

Skyler was seated on the other side of Leah and he seemed to be getting about the same vibe from her. It didn't help that he noticed she had a bruise on her arm from where he had grabbed her the previous morning. He really didn't say much to her after that, nor Leah. He wasn't sure how to really approach them now. He felt guilty enough as it was.

"Hey, Daryl?"

Daryl glanced over towards his left to where Amy was sitting next to him with Lucas. She too was staring into the fire but she broke her gaze as her eyes fixated on Daryl. A weak smile passed her lips.

"I know you wanted to find Andrea, and you tried…" Amy paused, "So what I'm saying is thanks. Maybe it sounds stupid but I think she's still out there. She's always been extremely stubborn and she's pretty good with a gun. Not to mention a lot more fearless than me."

"She's pretty tough," Daryl nodded in agreement. "She's out there."

"And I'm sorry about your brother. Even though he was… a little different. He was still your brother and family is family," Amy forced a smile. "I think he's still out there too."

"Toughest asshole I've ever met," Daryl smirked. "Probably plowing through walkers one handed like it's nothing." At least he could only hope.

Amy laughed, "I could see it."

It fell silent again as Amy rested her head on Lucas' shoulder. No one really said much of anything after that. There were only a few crackles from the fire and a slight breeze to provide noise. Even though everything seemed peaceful, Daryl wasn't about to let his guard down. He always had his knife with him and he always kept his crossbow nearby. It was a good thing too, because the crunch of sticks and dead leaves drew his attention to a place behind him. He jumped to his feet and scooped the crossbow up in one fluid motion. Daryl stared down the sights and realized just what, or rather _who_, he was viewing.

Shane stood before him, approximately 100 feet separating them. He was covered in blood, whether it was his own or from walkers, and he carried his Glock 17 in his right hand. Once he locked eyes with Daryl, he grinned and put his hands up in the air as if to surrender. But he didn't lower the gun.

"Shane?—" Olivia was in shock at the sight. Everyone was.

"You, uh… You guys left me behind," Shane laughed.

"Yeah, and for a damn good reason," Daryl growled. He still kept his crossbow trained on the man.

Shane put his arms back down at his sides as he shook his head, "You don't understand. It's not like that."

"Then what's it like?" Rick was on his feet with his eyes narrowed towards his old friend. Lori was hovering him, her eyes bouncing back and forth between her husband and Shane. She was trying to stop him from getting up, from moving any closer to him.

"You know I'd never mean to hurt you, Rick. But you left me no choice…"

Daryl watched as Shane raised his right arm and immediately had the gun pointed at Rick. The only thing Daryl could even think to do was charge at him, knock the gun out of his hand. Rick had already been shot once and it was hell trying to get him out of that situation. He didn't need to be shot again.

Daryl dropped the crossbow and cursed under his breath as he lunged for Rick. It was about the only thing he could do since Shane was too far to tackle in that short of time. Daryl collided with Rick just as Shane fired the gun and they hit the ground.

"Shoulda kept your ass inside the RV," Daryl grumbled as he got back to his feet, shielding Rick. Rick cringed in pain as he managed to get back on his own feet, not even bothering to give Daryl a response. Lori shoved Carl behind her and they backed up along with almost everyone else.

T-Dog and Glenn were the first to make a move after Daryl. Glenn kept a pistol trained on Shane as T-Dog managed to grab Shane's arm with the gun. Daryl ran to help T-Dog after seeing him struggle to hold Shane back from shooting anyone.

Shane fired another round just before Daryl could get a hold of his other arm. He heard a few gasps but he couldn't turn back to look—not now, even though his heart was racing with panic. Someone had been shot by that last bullet.

Daryl ripped the gun from Shane's grip and tossed it to the side. He and T-Dog worked together to pin Shane's arms behind him, allowing them to survey the damage. Carol and Hershel were flanking Amy, trying to do everything that they could to help. Amy was on the ground on her back, her head rested in Lucas' lap, blood soaking through her shirt. She had been shot in the chest, an extremely fatal wound.

"Amy—stay with us, Amy—" Carol's voice pleaded as Hershel was pressing a balled up cloth he had retrieved from his pocket to her chest to try and staunch the bleeding.

Unexpectedly, T-Dog threw a punch to Shane's face with his right fist while still keeping a grip on Shane's arm with his left hand. "What the hell is wrong with you, man!"

"It's not like I was trying to shoot her!" Shane tried to justify himself. "If y'all would have just stayed out of it, I could have been on my way!"

"Dream on, sunshine. You ain't killing Rick." Daryl fought to keep Shane restrained with T-Dog as Shane struggled to get free.

"Uh, guys? We… might have a much bigger problem on our hands," Glenn stammered, his eyes growing wide with what seemed to be fear. He was fixated on something beyond the three on them. Daryl and T-Dog both took that moment to glance back briefly.

"Oh, shit—" T-Dog cursed.

The walkers had heard the gunshots. It looked a lot like the herd that had blown through the Greene's farm, numerous and unrelenting. And they were heading straight for them.


	23. Consequences

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Can I just say that This Sorrowful Life… I cried like a baby. Ugh, all the feels. Any who, I have finally finished this chapter. Hooray!

* * *

_**Consequences.**_

With the walkers closing in, T-Dog and Daryl both released their hold on Shane. When comparing Shane to the approaching herd of walkers, the walkers were the bigger threat. Daryl didn't think anything of Shane trying to attack further without any weapons, having tossed the Glock out of his reach. But as Daryl tried to snatch the pistol back up before Shane could think to make a run for it himself, Daryl realized he hadn't thought that through entirely.

T-Dog had retreated back to everyone else's side to help against the oncoming herd just as Shane decided to take his chances. Shane managed to tackle Daryl to the ground, catching him off guard. Daryl made sure the gun was still out of reach from Shane as the man pinned him down on his back. All he had to do was push Shane off and he'd be in the clear. Only things were never that easy. Shane had grabbed the knife from off of Daryl's belt and in no time at all, brought the blade down over his chest.

Luckily, Daryl was able to catch it. He kept a firm grip on Shane's wrist, keeping the knife at a safe distance yet too close for comfort. Both of them struggled against the other's force. Even though Shane most likely had the upper hand when it came down to hand-to-hand combat, he still fought dirty.

"You think you're just gonna get away?—Just like that? No, you're going down with me…" Shane dug his knee into Daryl's left side. The pain that still shot up from that injury shocked Daryl as his grip on Shane's wrist weakened momentarily, the knife dropping down even more.

Daryl gritted his teeth and forced his way through the pain, his arms almost shaking at this point from the strain of trying to overpower Shane. He could hear the gunshots ring out from the group as the walkers began to surround them. But they had no choice in the matter. They had to resort to using guns.

Since Shane had Daryl pinned to the ground on his back, he couldn't see anything behind him. But Daryl could see everything and he could only watch as a walker had grabbed a hold of Shane and bit into his shoulder.

Shane bucked back at the attack, pain scrolled across his face in that moment. Daryl took that as his opportunity. With the walker gnawing on Shane's shoulder, it had distracted him from Daryl—allowing him the time and strength necessary to pull the knife back from Shane's grasp and slam his elbow into Shane's face. Daryl was able to shove Shane off of him as he quickly jumped back to his feet and drove the blade into the head of a walker that was hovering him.

Since they were a little further from the group, the walkers had actually formed a close knit circle around them. Daryl did his best at shoving walkers back and driving the knife into their heads one at a time. Shane was a goner. He had been bitten a least a couple times now as he made it to his feet and tried to fight the walkers off himself. As long as he didn't try to attack again, Daryl was alright with that.

Daryl was beginning to panic once he realized there was no way he was getting out of this. He couldn't even take a step without running into a walker, doing his best to shove it aside. He had to constantly rip his arms back from out of their grasps. All he had to do was make it to that damn Glock a few feet away…

A few gunshots rang out, closer than they were before. Daryl noticed a handful of walkers that surrounded him dropped to the ground afterwards. He caught a glimpse of T-Dog and Olivia, pistols in hand.

T-Dog gave him a slight smirk, "You saved my ass on that highway—thought I'd returned the favor!"

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief as he shook his head, fighting back the urge to share in a smirk himself. "'Bout time!" he shot back. But he wasn't quite out of danger yet. He finally made his way to the Glock lying on the ground and immediately took the first shot, taking down another walker.

"Go—" Daryl pushed his way through the walkers and waved T-Dog and Olivia on back towards the others.

"What about Shane?" Olivia glanced over towards the man who was still putting up one hell of a fight against the dead. "Should we… put him down?"

"He's bit—that's good enough for me. Leave him." Daryl retorted.

"I agree, now c'mon," T-Dog grabbed Olivia by her arm and tugged her along as the three made it back to the others. They were doing fairly well at keeping the herd at bay but their tactic wasn't going to hold out much longer.

"Daryl—" Leah squeezed her way through everyone, having been encircled by the group with Sophia and Carl for safety. She ran straight for Daryl and hugged him, fighting back tears. The chaos around them was too much for her.

Daryl gave her a quick kiss on top of her head before he grabbed her hand and placed the Glock into her palm, closing her fingers around the grip. "Just like we practiced."

Leah stared at him and nodded, wiping her arm across her face. She kept the pistol pointed down at the ground as she stood in front of him, remembering that she was to never point the gun at anything unless she wanted to shoot it.

"Where's Shane?" Lori called out. She shot a walker down as she quickly glanced over towards Daryl for a response.

"He's taken care of," Daryl replied. He picked his crossbow back up and retreated back to Leah's side. Leah looked worried at his words though. Maybe she was thinking that he had killed Shane. He thought about it but overall, he was glad he didn't go through with it for Leah's sake. Daryl shook his head, "I didn't kill him. The walkers got him."

"We have to go—now!" Maggie yelled over all the commotion.

Daryl kept Leah close as he just now took the time to look at the damage that had been done. Hershel, Carol, and Lucas were all still surrounding Amy. She was covered in blood and seemed to be unconscious as Hershel did his best to help her. With the circumstances that they were stuck in and with the condition that Amy was in, it didn't look good. Even though Daryl was trying to remain positive he knew Amy wasn't going to make it. They'd lost Shane, they'd lost Amy, and they were still stuck in this mess. They couldn't lose anyone else.

Everyone lost all orderly fashion in no time at all, and the fact that it was night didn't help. They couldn't stand around and wait any longer. They couldn't keep killing walkers when they just kept coming. Lori forced Rick to make a run for it so that he couldn't play the hero, grabbing Carl's hand and leading her family back to the RV. Glenn followed in tow, grabbing Maggie. They made it to the RV as well.

Daryl cursed under his breath as everything began to fall apart in record time. Beth was tugging her dad along, telling him that they had to leave. Carol wrapped Sophia up in her arms and made a run for the Hyundai. Lucas stayed with Amy, still hoping that she'd wake up and be okay. Andrew, Skyler, and Olivia were still shooting at walkers with T-Dog.

That was the last image that Daryl had in his mind before he grabbed Skyler's hand and pulled her along with him. He didn't say a word and really, he didn't even think about it. He just knew he needed her and Leah to be safe. Andrew had once again come through for him as he made sure to keep an eye on Leah.

"Tell everyone to follow my lead! Olivia and I found a house we can hole up in just a few miles out," Daryl yelled to Andrew over the few remaining gunshots and growls from the walkers.

"Got it!" Andrew nodded, ushering Leah back to the Hyundai with him.

* * *

Daryl kept an eye on the side mirrors as they traveled down the road, making sure everyone stayed close behind. He could feel Skyler's arms wrapped around him with her head rested against his back. He knew that once they made it to this house and things began to settle down he'd have to talk to her. He couldn't keep pushing her away, no matter how easy or convenient it was. He cared about her and she was pretty much family—as close to family as anyone could get. He'd just have to face the facts, face his apparent fear, and talk to her. There was no avoiding it forever.

After a few miles they had finally come upon the dirt road that led back to the old two-story. Daryl was relieved that they had found it, and just in time too. He brought the bike to a halt and killed the engine just as the others pulled up beside him and parked.

Skyler slid off the bike and Daryl followed her lead as the others slowly emerged from their vehicles. Leah once again made her way straight to them, a look of pure exhaustion on her face. All of the running and fighting to survive was taking a toll on everyone.

Leah hugged Skyler before she moved to Daryl. She wrapped her arms around him, her voice seemingly lifeless as she spoke: "Amy didn't make it."

Daryl glanced over at Skyler before he switched his gaze to the others—specifically Hershel. The man only bowed his head giving Daryl all the knowledge he needed. He figured as much. Since Amy had been shot in the chest, it was already a death sentence.

"And Lucas?" Skyler's eyes were searching among the group. Daryl noticed he was missing once she spoke up.

Nobody said a word. They only thing they could do was hug their family closer, thankful that it wasn't them. It sounded selfish to think like that but there were no other options. They had done all that they could do and somehow it never seemed like it was enough. They had lost yet another two from their group, three including Shane. They still hadn't fully gotten over their losses from the farm.

"Let's just head inside and try to get some sleep. We can talk things over in the morning," Rick tried. He looked like he wanted to say more but he must have bit his tongue on that. In fact, he still hadn't quite come clean about the news he had learned at the CDC. Daryl recalled Rick saying there was never the right time but it was beginning to feel like there would _never_ be the right time. If someone wanted something done, then they had to do it right there on the spot.

Daryl grabbed his crossbow from off the motorcycle and allowed Skyler and Leah to go before him, everyone entering into the dark house. Morning would be nice just to have some source of light, having not memorized the layout of where anything was at. But everyone split up into smaller groups once again and claimed their rooms. The Grimes family took what appeared to be the master bedroom upstairs while Daryl took the room next to it with Leah and Skyler. There was one more bedroom on the upstairs level that Olivia, Andrew, and T-Dog claimed. There was one last bedroom in total, residing on the main floor that Glenn and Maggie took while the others—Hershel, Beth, Carol, and Sophia—took the living room. It would work for now and it certainly gave everyone enough space.

No one was willing to even talk about what they had just experienced with Shane's return. It seemed to be a forbidden topic at the time but Daryl figured it would be revisited in the morning. They had all been taken by shock. There were no words that could soothe anyone's mind. After all, only time could heal all wounds.

Daryl pulled Leah into a hug before settling down for the rest of the night. His eyes burned, telling him that he needed to get some sleep. But he was thankful for Leah, and Skyler. He wouldn't know what to do if he lost either of them. Losing Elena and Merle was bad enough—at the time, the _worst_. He kissed Leah on the forehead and took a step back, releasing her from the hug.

There were things that he figured he'd have to discuss with them eventually. If nothing else, to get it off his chest. They deserved to know what happened to Elena. He had to get over the fear of rejection. He just had a feeling it wouldn't go over well when the time came. As long as they could possibly forgive him…


	24. The Price We Pay

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N**: So I lost a follower on this story… But then I gained three. Not sure how that works but I'm okay with it. Thank you. I just wish I could get you little boogers to leave some feedback. ;)

* * *

_**The Price We Pay.**_

By the time morning rolled around, Daryl realized that Skyler and Leah were already awake and gone. He shook his head in disbelief. How in the world did he not wake up sooner?

As Daryl exited the room he found Olivia headed for the stairs. She casted him a slight smile before she headed downstairs to join the others. Daryl meant to follow but was stopped by Rick.

"Daryl, can I have a word with you?"

Daryl walked towards where Rick was standing further down the hall and away from the staircase. He tried to read the man's body language but all he could tell was that he was exhausted.

"About what happened last night… I just wanted to thank you. Again," Rick paused. "For taking care of Shane when I should have been the one to do it. I should have seen it coming."

Daryl shrugged, "What's done is done. No big deal now, just water under the bridge. We all did what we had to do."

"Well, thank you," Rick placed his hand on Daryl's shoulder, giving a small reassuring squeeze before walking passed and heading downstairs. Lori and Carl exited from their room now. Lori smiled in passing, her hand rested on her belly as she and Carl took off after Rick.

Daryl couldn't help but notice everyone seemed to be turning to him a lot more and even smiling. He wasn't sure what to think of it. How he saw it, he felt like it was partially his fault that Amy died. He had been the one to grab the gun when Shane shot it, ultimately leading that bullet straight to Amy… He shrugged it off for the time being, knowing it wouldn't do him any good to sit and dwell on it now, and headed downstairs with the rest of them.

Once everyone was up and moving, Rick had called everyone together for an announcement of the sorts. Everyone gathered around in the rather large dining room, a handful of the group still looking like they were half asleep.

"What's going on?" Carol asked, hugging Sophia in front of her as she glanced back and forth among everyone.

"I have something that I need to tell everyone. Something I should have explained a while back," Rick began, placing his hands on his hips. "I didn't know it was true until I heard about what happened to Randall… Glenn and Daryl found him as a walker. He had turned but he hadn't been bit."

"Turned but not bit? What do you mean?—How is that possible?" Beth questioned.

"When we were at the CDC, Jenner told me something. I didn't want to believe him. I didn't want to say anything in case it was false. But the incident with Randall proves it… We're all infected." Rick jumped right to it, taking the whole room by surprise. Well, everyone except for Daryl, seeing as Rick had already told him.

"We're… infected?" T-Dog repeated, staring hard at Rick. "But how does that…?"

"Randall had his neck broke. Shane killed him and he came back as a walker," Daryl explained further.

"And you—you kept this from us?" Lori turned on her husband, her mouth agape. She blinked a few times, shaking her head before she pulled Carl close.

"I couldn't risk telling everyone unless I knew it was true. Would you really rather of had me tell this to you all without knowing?" Rick looked out at everyone but no one said a word.

Everyone fell silent as the room grew awkward. Rick's words hung in the air and no one had any clue what to say. It was definitely a surprise—and he'd even go as far to say it was a wakeup call too. No one was safe.

* * *

After the group dispersed and made themselves scarce once Rick had finished, Daryl tried to hunt Leah down. He figured now was as good a time as any, and he _did_ need to talk to her. He walked out the front door and sighed once he finally found her sitting on the edge of the old front porch, her legs dangling over the edge.

Daryl walked over and joined her, taking a seat on the edge himself. He didn't say anything at first and nor did she. They sat in silence for a moment before Daryl took the initiative: "How're ya doing?"

Leah shrugged, "Okay, I guess." She stared out at the grass, still not looking over at Daryl. He could tell that she was upset, he just didn't know over what—was it him, was it Amy, Shane, or just everything that happened over the past few days?

"You wanna talk about it?" Daryl cast a glance at her, squinting due to the sun since it had already made its appearance in the morning sky.

Leah shook her head. For a while, Daryl didn't think she was going to say anymore. She lowered her gaze to her lap before she sighed, "I just wish things were different."

Whether Daryl could feel her pain or he just wanted to be able to comfort her, maybe both, he wasn't sure. But he found himself placing his hand over hers without much of a thought. Leah looked over at him at that moment, their eyes locking onto each other before she looked down at his hand on hers. She managed to lace her fingers with his before she leaned into him, resting against his shoulder. It was funny how she knew how to receive and return love much better than he did. But he was glad she wasn't pushing him away.

"Why are you mad at Skyler?" Leah practically whispered, her voice quiet as she continued to stare out at the vacant front yard with her head rested against Daryl.

"Mad?... I'm not mad at Skyler," Daryl replied.

"Then why are you being such an ass towards her?" Leah's words threw Daryl off. She could apparently see the tension that had risen between the two. And it was all because of his damn nightmare—how ridiculous was that?

"Hey, watch your mouth," Daryl warned, turned his head to look at her. He could feel her shrug.

"It's the end of the world. What does it matter if I cuss? You do," Leah looked up at him with a faint smile.

"S'not the point…" Daryl poked her nose and received a giggle in response. She rested her head back against his shoulder. "…I'm gonna talk to her. I just wanted to come talk to you first. Make sure you were doin' okay." He now realized where he was going with this. He wasn't going to tell Leah about her mom. He couldn't bring himself to. He couldn't upset her with that news on top of everything else. But Skyler? He could tell her. He _had_ to tell her.

"Are _you_ okay?" Leah redirected the question back at him. When he didn't give her an immediate response, she turned to look at him. She tried to study his face.

"I've got you, don't I?" Daryl squeezed her hand and forced a small smirk. "I'm gonna go talk to Skyler. I'll come find you afterwards?"

Leah nodded, "Okay. Deal."

Daryl slipped his hand from hers and got back on his feet. He made sure to ruffle her hair as she swatted at his hand, "Hey—!" But he couldn't resist because he knew she got flustered over it.

* * *

Skyler left the living room and headed straight for the bedroom she shared with Daryl and Leah the previous night—their temporary quarters. The news that Rick shared was a little unsettling for her. They were all infected already? It basically meant that no matter how they died, they would come back. They no longer had to only worry about getting bit. They would turn no matter what—unless their death involved head trauma.

She walked over to the window and pulled the faded curtain back. All she could see from where she stood was a vast amount of land, the mix of fall colors stretching across the grass and trees. A part of her had always wanted a house like this, secluded and out in the middle of nowhere. It seemed peaceful. Almost like they were the only people left in the world. It certainly felt like it, though that couldn't be the case.

Skyler shuffled her way back towards the bed and sat on the edge of it, sighing. She couldn't help but think about Matt and Hannah again. How the walkers came from out of nowhere. How Hannah had been grabbed up by them so easily. How Matt had tried to save her… It should have been her instead.

There was a light knock on the doorframe that brought her attention to the figure standing there. She smiled at Daryl, showing him that it was okay to enter the room. He gave her a nod in return as he stepped forth. She noticed his eyes searched her arm, exposed due to the short sleeve shirt she was currently sporting. She had taken the jacket off and tossed it on the bed moments before Daryl had entered the room. Now she wished she would have kept it on. She still had a faint bruise from where Daryl had grabbed her, though it was fading pretty fast.

"I'm sorry… About the other day," Daryl started.

"Don't be, it's okay," Skyler shook her head.

"I could have killed you…" Daryl muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "How is that okay?"

"You didn't. It was just… a dream. Stop giving yourself a guilt trip," Skyler patted the bed for him to join her. Daryl shook his head to decline. "I was wondering when you were going to talk to me again."

"Yeah, I know," Daryl cleared his throat, glancing over at the window that Skyler had been peering out. "You didn't harass me as much this time as you have in the past." He forced a slight smirk.

"I figured I would give you your space. Figured you would come talk to me when you were ready," Skyler shrugged. "You seemed really upset and I didn't want to push it."

"Thanks, I guess," Daryl mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

Even though Skyler really didn't spend a whole lot of time around Daryl before the dead started walking, she was beginning to pick up on a lot of his actions. She was beginning to see the real Daryl, the Daryl that wasn't necessarily hidden behind her sister and Leah. He seemed pretty happy around those two—hell, that was an understatement compared to what he was like now. She could tell he didn't seem like a naturally happy person, that he was hurt. She recalled that morning when she had walked in on him changing his shirt. It was the first and only time she had seen him shirtless and she had seen the scars. Of course it all made sense after that, what must have happened to him in the past to make him who he was today. He was damaged. She couldn't help but wonder if that was why her sister fell for him—because Elena had always felt the same way after Michael, and their parents.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Skyler offered. She watched Daryl shift his weight to his right foot, glancing over at her then down at the floor. He folded his arms in front of his chest and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good… I just—" Daryl paused. He was still staring at the floor. Skyler assumed he was searching for the words to say. "It was just a bad dream. Kind of involved you, Elena, and Merle. And walkers. That's why I… attacked you."

"…Merle's your brother, right?" Skyler never really heard him talk about his family. She wasn't even sure if he had any other siblings. Anything she _did_ know was courtesy of Elena.

"Yeah," Daryl seemed to tense up a bit. "About that…"

Skyler stared at him, waiting for him to continue. She had no clue where he was going with this. Was he going to talk about Merle? Was his brother the reason he's the way he is?... She had become so focused on Daryl and expecting him to come clean about his past life that she was completely blindsided by what he began to explain to her.

"It's my fault Elena didn't make it. I left her by herself—we were trying to get out of the house. She—She got bit because I wasn't there. And Merle—" Daryl kept his head down, staring at his feet as he rushed through his words. "He came, told us that she wasn't gonna make it 'cause she got bit. He had seen it happen and I didn't want to leave her, I swear to God that was never my intention—" Daryl bit his lip. He still refused to look up at Skyler as he kept going. "Merle knocked me out and he left her. That… that's all I know. I never went back and I should have. I never talked to Merle about it and I have no clue if she's—if she's…"

Skyler felt the tears running down her face from the moment Elena's name fell from Daryl's lips. That was how Elena died. She had been bit and she most likely turned. And by the sounds of it, she was still out there as a walker. The more her mind milled over it, the more tears began to fall. Her sister… a walker?

Daryl had finally forced himself to look at Skyler. He rubbed his face, cursing under his breath. "Christ… I'm sorry…"

It was now Skyler's turn to avoid looking at Daryl as she let out a shaky sigh. She found herself looking towards the window as if it were an escape from the real world. She wiped her face and shook her head. Daryl had left Elena by herself. Elena had gotten bit. But Merle?—Merle knocked Daryl out?

Skyler had to tell herself that Daryl was trying to help. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't like that. It was just an accident—a mere coincidence. When she looked back at Daryl she could tell he was upset. He honestly looked like he was ready to cry himself.

It wasn't his fault. _It wasn't his fault_.

As much as Skyler wanted to just be able to blame him, to take her anger out on him—she couldn't. Instead, she got to her feet and slowly closed the gap between them. As soon as she moved her arms, Daryl flinched. She pushed passed it and quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him in a tight squeeze and crying even more.

"It's not your fault," Skyler mumbled into his chest, hoping that he would hear it and hoping that she would believe it.


	25. Survive

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Holy guacamole! I hit 100 reviews, that's insane! For me anyway… A special thank you to those of you who _do_ leave a review—you're awesome! Maybe you can consider this fast update as the reward.

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_**Survive.**_

Daryl felt better after he was able to tell Skyler what had happened but it still didn't take away the pain of losing Elena. Overall, he was just glad he was finally able to _make_ himself tell her. She deserved to know and it went a whole lot better than what Daryl had expected. When she had originally got up off the bed, he was waiting for her to hit him—to lash out, punch, scream—_something_. But she had done right the opposite. She hugged him, and that was the most confusing part.

Skyler now stood in front of him as she wiped the tears off her face. She had held onto him for quite a while, keeping the tight hug and crying into his chest. He wasn't even sure what to do or say at that point. He felt a little relieved that she was beginning to calm down though.

"I'm okay," Skyler forced a half choked laugh. She must have noticed Daryl was staring at her. He was communicating with her nonverbally without even realizing it. "It's just… kind of a lot to take in. And after Rick's little speech downstairs… We're all screwed, aren't we?" She looked up at him now.

"…I think we'll be okay," Daryl spoke quieter than he had planned to, the words not quite wanting to come out. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned his gaze back towards the window. It was difficult for him to admit anything and he certainly didn't know how to handle emotional situations. He had avoided the inevitable for as long as he could, feeling like a fuse burning from both ends. It was either he stuck it out with the emotional roller coaster or he kept it bottled up and allowed the guilt and pain to keep eating away at him. But of course he wasn't done yet.

"Have you talked to Leah?" Skyler questioned. Her voice had resumed back to being steady now and her face dry of tears.

Daryl shook his head, "Not about this."

Skyler ran her fingers through her light auburn hair, pushing it back out of her face. She nodded, "A part of me wants to tell you to keep it that way, but I know that isn't right—to keep this from her."

"I know," Daryl replied, nodding himself.

He let the silence fill the room after that, leaving it hanging in the air. He didn't want to come right out and ask Skyler if she was okay. That was a stupid question to even think about asking. But he also didn't want to just leave her. So whether it was the next best thing or not, he stayed with her for at least a few minutes in complete silence before he left her to be alone and headed back downstairs.

Daryl remembered that he was aiming to talk to Leah after paying Skyler a visit and glanced around the main level. He spotted her sitting in the living room with Hershel and Beth but was stopped before he could make it over to her.

"Hey, Daryl?" It was Rick again.

Daryl turned back around to face him, glancing him over. He was still holding himself together pretty well after being shot and on the run from bat-shit crazy Shane and walkers. "Yeah?"

"I just talked to Glenn, was thinking it wouldn't hurt to try another run. See if there's anything close by or if we're stuck in the middle of nowhere."

"You talkin' a new place to hole up or finding supplies?" Daryl crossed his arms, biting at the corner of his mouth.

"Well… mostly supplies. But if you wouldn't mind going with Glenn and you find something better, we'll take it," Rick explained. He shifted his weight as he placed his hands on his hips, resting on his belt.

"I can just go by myself. Take the motorcycle, be a lot more efficient on gas," Daryl offered. There was no way in hell he was going to have Glenn riding bitch.

Rick shook his head almost instantly, "It's not safe to go out alone. We're not splitting up anyone anymore. You two can take the Hyundai. It's at least less likely to break down than that old truck out there."

"I could go."

Daryl turned to look over at Leah who was now standing off by his side. She had been listening to their conversation. Daryl looked back at Rick as the man nodded at him, leaving so that he could talk to Leah.

"Ain't no way in hell." Daryl figured the straight-forward approach would work best for these circumstances. There was no way he was going to take Leah with him into unknown territory that could be infested with walkers or more psychos like Shane. Not after everything they had just been through.

"And why not? I'm plenty capable of going on supply runs just the same as everyone else," Leah crossed her arms.

"I don't want to risk it and have to worry about something bad happening, that's why," Daryl retorted.

"Well I'd be right there with you. It's not like you'd _leave_ me or anything."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, questioning her choice of words. "Why would I…?" He shook his head, "The answer's no."

Leah narrowed her eyes in return before she walked away, heading for the kitchen to join Sophia and Carol. She bumped into Glenn on her way as Glenn even gave her a slightly confused look.

"She doesn't look too happy…" Glenn stated the obvious, joining Daryl's side in the dining room.

"She wanted to come with, told her no," Daryl shrugged.

"Can't say I blame her. I would be itching to go on an adventure at her age." Glenn stopped when he noticed that Daryl raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'd hardly call this an adventure."

"You know what I mean," Glenn replied. "So… ready to head out?"

* * *

It was quickly decided that Daryl would be driving as he had immediately snatched the keys to the Hyundai from Glenn's hand once they were walking down the gravel driveway.

"Really? You want to drive?—Is this another dominance thing of yours?" Glenn questioned.

"What are you talking about?" Daryl shot him a look.

"You never let anyone do anything for you—I don't know, nevermind…" Glenn muttered. He hopped into the passenger seat and shut the door as Daryl took the driver's seat.

"Sure," Daryl stuck the key into the ignition, glancing over at Glenn. He couldn't help but smirk, "It mostly has to do with your horrible Asian driving skills, or lack thereof."

"Oh, come on!" Glenn turned red in the face. "I'm not a bad driver. You're just over exaggerating."

Daryl turned the key as the Hyundai rumbled to life, "I can't believe we got stuck with this fugly ass car."

"'Fugly'?" Glenn grinned.

"Shut up," Daryl warned, throwing the vehicle in reverse. Once he got it facing the road, he put his foot down on the gas, the tires throwing up some loose gravel and dust.

A silence settled over the two as Daryl kept his attention focused on the road ahead and Glenn's attention was drawn out the passenger window. So far it seemed like there was nothing close by. They passed plenty of trees and wooded areas, a couple open fields. There really weren't even any other houses around besides the one they had found.

"I think Maggie's mad at me…" Glenn randomly blurted, still staring out the window.

"…And?" Daryl glanced over at him then back to the road.

"I don't know. I feel like one minute she's happy, the next she's pissed. I don't know if I'm just looking too far into it or what."

"You're lookin' to me to solve your women problems?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.

Glenn laughed, "When you put it that way, no. I just felt like I needed to say something and that was the first thing that popped into my mind. But if you have any pointers, I'm all ears."

Daryl scoffed, "And what makes you think I'd even have any pointers?"

"You're… older," Glenn left it at that. "Come on, I delivered pizzas and played video games before all this. I have no clue what I'm doing with Maggie."

"Don't know what to tell ya," Daryl shrugged. "Guess you're just shit out of luck." He could tell that Glenn was about to open his mouth, to say something more, but must have decided against it. That was probably a good thing.

More silence passed before some sort of structure came into view. It appeared to be a motor inn, the motel rooms forming a block letter U-shape around the parking lot accompanying it. Daryl brought the Hyundai to a stop, putting the vehicle in park just outside the parking lot and shut the engine off. He glanced over at Glenn who now wore a grin on his face.

"This is perfect!" Glenn exclaimed. "We can move in here. Everyone could even have their own room. Not to mention we could block off the parking lot to keep the walkers out. We could make it secure."

Daryl nodded, scratching his chin as he surveyed the area. "Could use the RV. It'd take up quite a bit of room, blocking off the entrance. It could work."

"Then let's go take care of some business." Glenn grabbed his machete resting by his feet as he popped the car door open.

Daryl followed his lead, grabbing his crossbow from the backseat before exiting the vehicle. He walked side by side with Glenn as they entered the parking lot, making sure to keep low and not distract the walkers. The one closest to them was busily chewing on a corpse. There were two others just milling around absentmindedly towards the middle of the parking lot and another one with its back propped up against an abandoned car.

"As of right now, I'm only seeing four walkers," Daryl kept his voice low. They were perched behind a short little brick wall that contained the old neon sign that hung high in the air reading 'Travelier Motel'. The building looked a little worse for wear but it still looked plenty sturdy enough for shelter.

"Yeah," Glenn agreed. "Piece of cake." He began to walk his way further down the short brick wall, headed for the walker that was sitting against the abandoned car.

Daryl loaded his crossbow and took aim for the walker just ahead of him. Its disgusting growls and chomping filled the air as it was still contently eating away at the corpse before it. Daryl took the shot, nailing it in the head as its body slumped forward and smacked into the worn out pavement.

He glanced over to see how Glenn was doing and noticed that he had already taken down his first walker as well, the machete coated in a slimy dark goo. They both started to move forward after giving each other a brief nod. Daryl strapped his crossbow across his back and pulled the knife from his sheath. And just like that, they were both able to attack the two remaining walkers—Glenn had slammed the blade of the machete into his walker's temple while Daryl drove the knife into his walker's forehead.

"I can't believe there are only four walkers here. That's crazy." Glenn started to glance around at the structure now. "Though I suppose there could still be some locked in the rooms?"

Daryl bent down and wiped his knife off on the walker's shirt before sliding it back into the sheath attached to his belt. "I guess so. Probably wouldn't hurt to check the rooms then, huh?" He walked back over towards the first walker and retrieved the bolt he fired, holding its head down with a booted foot.

Glenn sighed, "We're gonna be here for a while."

"We've got all day."

* * *

Once Skyler felt like she had pulled herself together, she headed downstairs to join everyone. She had heard one of the vehicles start up and leave not too long ago as her curiosity was now getting the best of her. It didn't take long to notice that Daryl and Glenn were the two missing people.

"…Did they go out on a supply run?" Skyler asked Olivia, finding her seated at the dining room table. She was loading her clip, the gun and all its parts splayed out in front of her.

"Daryl and Glenn did not too long ago. Rick's request," Olivia muttered the last two words. She set the clip down on the table and looked over at Skyler. Her face fell, "Have you been crying?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. Just had to have my meltdown," Skyler forced a smile. She pulled the chair out from the table next to Olivia and took a seat.

"As long as everything's okay, that's the main thing. I think you're entitled to have a breakdown. Things have just been crazy…" Olivia picked the clip back up and loaded it back into the pistol. "I'm still having my doubts about Rick's little spiel. I thought he was supposed to be the 'leader'."

"I think he's doing just fine. He just wanted to make sure he knew for certain before he told everyone. It makes sense," Skyler explained.

"I guess so," Olivia shrugged. She went back to tinkering with her gun, reassembling the pieces. Skyler could only watch in awe, having no clue how to clean a gun let alone take it apart and put it back together.

"How do you know so much about guns?" Skyler questioned, hoping to change the topic.

"Shane, actually… He showed me how to do all of this. Andrea too."

"Oh," Skyler quickly realized that wasn't the change of topic she was hoping for. Shane was now long gone and Andrea might as well have been after losing her back on the farm.

Olivia sighed, "I know. And I feel like shit for acting so childish about everything on the farm. I should have turned Shane down instead of going along with his advances. I didn't realize how screwed up everything was. And Andrea… I just hope she's okay."

"I don't blame you for anything," Skyler shook her head. "Shane was pretty good looking and it's the end of the world. What can a girl do, right?" She tried to make Olivia feel better, forcing another small smile of the sorts. Olivia laughed in return.

"That still doesn't justify anything," Olivia smiled back at her. "Let's just hope things start getting better from here on out. I don't think they could get much worse."

Skyler only nodded. They couldn't give up. They had to keep pushing on to survive.


	26. This Conversation Is Over

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Okay, a few things to mention. For those of you who read 'Promises' I apologize but I am putting it on hiatus until this story is finished. (Refer to my profile for further information.) That being said, I've worked this story out and have a fairly good idea on where I'm going with it and how I'm ending it (we're looking at about 38 chapters right now, give or take.) I'll still probably work out a few kinks along the way. Also, I've added yet another different poll to my profile… though this one is more for fun I suppose. I think that just about covers everything. PM me if you have any questions.

* * *

_**This Conversation Is Over.**_

"That's the last of them." Glenn dropped the dead walker's body onto the pile that they had started. After going through all of the rooms, they had come across six more, giving the motel a grand total of ten walkers—which was still nothing for the size of the place.

"Coulda been worse," Daryl muttered. "A lot worse. Lucky for us, this place apparently didn't get much business before the outbreak. Though judging by the condition it ain't surprising."

Daryl replaced his knife back into its sheath and gripped onto the strap across his chest from his crossbow. He glanced the place over one last time before he followed Glenn back out towards the road. Glenn was walking a bit down the sidewalk and headed a little passed the motel.

"Hey—I could be wrong but… does that look like a town to you?" Glenn pointed down the road, raising his other hand to block out the sun that his baseball cap failed to.

Daryl squinted as he joined Glenn's side, "Kinda looks that way. There's _something_ up ahead at least."

"Think we should check that out too?" Glenn almost sounded eager now as he looked over at Daryl.

Daryl gave it some thought. It wouldn't hurt to give it a shot and look the town over, see if there were any little stores that might still contain any useful items that scavengers didn't already get their hands on. But based off the sun's position in the sky it was certainly sometime late afternoon. If they wanted to get back to the house before sunset, they were going to need to leave now.

"Nah, better not. Best to just head back now while we got the daylight on our side. Tell the others about all of this and work from there," Daryl explained.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't really think about that. Definitely don't want to lose the light. But hopefully we'll get the chance to come back tomorrow and check it out." Glenn headed for the Hyundai and Daryl turned to follow.

"Hey, Short Round," Daryl called out to get his attention. Just as Glenn turned back around to face him, Daryl tossed the vehicle key to him. "You can drive. Just try not to get us killed."

* * *

"You're back. Did you guys find anything?" Lori was the first to greet Daryl and Glenn as they entered into the house. She had a hand resting on her belly, her eyes searching them over before realizing that they were empty handed.

"We found a motel," Glenn beamed. "Still in pretty good condition. And there's a town not too far from it." He removed his baseball cap and ran a hand through his hair. Rick and the others were slowing beginning to fill in around the room to listen.

Lori smiled, "Really? That's great!"

"Yeah, it's maybe just a few miles or so. Could definitely get there without having to worry about running out of gas," Daryl added. He found himself searching the room, his eyes landing on Skyler. She was already looking back at him and when their eyes met, she smiled.

"So what about this town?" Rick questioned.

"Well… we didn't check it out. Decided to come back before dark, didn't want to risk it." Glenn paused before quickly adding, "Daryl's idea."

"Probably a wise one," Hershel spoke up. He smiled when Daryl and Glenn glanced over at him. "I'm just glad you two are back safe."

It was silent for a brief moment while everyone stood around in the dining room. Maggie approached Glenn and stood by his side, lacing her fingers with his. Apparently whatever issue Glenn had told Daryl about Maggie was resolved—or a misinterpretation on Glenn's part.

"That's it then. We'll head out in the morning."

* * *

The next morning, everyone worked on throwing everything together and heading out for the motel. There really wasn't a whole lot to grab seeing as they left most of what they had in the vehicles out front. Everyone grabbed anything they could find that would be useful before leaving—blankets, pillows, food. The motel would have blankets and pillows but it never hurt to have too many.

The group stuck to their vehicle routine as Daryl led the way to the motel on the motorcycle with Skyler. They drove passed a few straggling walkers but nothing to be worried about.

Upon arriving at the motel, Daryl pulled into the parking lot and parked the bike back towards the corner. He shut the ignition off and once again followed Skyler's lead after grabbing his crossbow, walking towards the middle of the semi-vacant lot.

Daryl shouldered the crossbow and walked up to the driver's side of the Hyundai. He tapped on the window to get Glenn's attention as he rolled it down and Maggie was looking over from the passenger side. "Park somewhere closer to the rooms, maybe towards the middle. If we need a fast getaway, this vehicle is all we have."

"Got it," Glenn nodded. He rolled the window back up and did as Daryl suggested.

T-Dog parked Otis' truck parallel with the entrance to the parking lot, helping to block the entrance. Rick followed suit and parked the RV behind the truck. With just the two motor vehicles, they had half of the parking lot entrance blocked off.

"Figured that was the plan, right? This old thing probably won't be around much longer anyway." T-Dog joined them in the parking lot now. "Now all we gotta do is get these couple cars that are left in neutral and roll them over to add to our barrier."

The rest of the group began to emerge from the vehicles and circle around. There wasn't one person who didn't have a grin on their face at least once. The motel really was a great find. They could all work together and make it secure, stage a lookout, and each have their own privacy. Overall, it might prove to be a little more difficult to protect than a house but it would work.

Glenn and Maggie immediately offered to go check the town out after they claimed a room and threw a few things in there. They both carried varying machetes from the kit Carl found way back on that highway when Sophia got lost, and they headed towards town on foot following the road.

While everyone was taking a tour of the place and scattered about, Daryl took the time to track Leah down. He wanted to make sure everything was okay with her after her little outburst. He ended up finding her rummaging through what was left in the RV.

"Hey… You okay?" Daryl approached Leah while she was secluded from the others, allowing some privacy. She narrowed her eyes, staring hard back at him but she didn't respond. "Is this about me not letting you come with me yesterday?"

"You can tell Skyler but you can't tell me? And you waited until _now_ to do so?"

It all made sense now. Leah had eavesdropped on Daryl when he was talking to Skyler. That's why she made the comment that she did yesterday. That's why she was upset.

"You were listening…" Daryl muttered.

"Yeah, I was. Because I wanted to know what was going on, why you were being an asshole. I wanted to make sure you were going to apologize I guess. But what I heard?" Leah shook her head, biting her lip. "So my mom is dead because of you, because you _left_ her. You let her get bit."

Daryl remained quiet as he was unsure what to say. No amount of excuses was going to change things. Leah was upset and she had every reason to be. The only thing Daryl could really do was just stand there and let her vent her frustration. Here he had figured Skyler would react this way and Leah would understand. Apparently he had it all wrong.

"Why couldn't you tell me when you first found me—when we were back on Hershel's farm? You told me that she was dead but you didn't explain how it happened." Leah continued, "As for the supply runs? If you don't want to take me then that's fine, I'll go with someone else. I'm old enough now, I know how everything works."

"Leah—" Daryl tried to speak up now to tell her that he did agree with that, that he would take her next time they go on a run. She _was_ old enough and she was very capable. He was just being overprotective. But his words failed him as Leah snapped:

"You're not my dad. You never were and you never will be."

Leah's eyes watered now as she shoved her way passed Daryl and descended down the steps of the RV. It took a moment for Daryl to make himself move in a half attempt to follow after her, only reaching the bottom of the steps and watching Leah enter into one of the motel rooms and slamming the door. The noise definitely caught some attention as Skyler was one of the first to notice. She immediately sought out Daryl and must have known it had something to do with Leah. She took off for the room that Leah had gone into as Daryl went in the opposite direction. He had to give Leah some space for her sake and his.

"Daryl—" Lori had dismissed herself from the others and followed him half way across the parking lot. She was walking by his side and Daryl could tell she was at a loss for words. Why should she be concerned about what just happened? Just because she was a mother didn't mean anything.

They stopped just short of the other side of the motel rooms. Lori attempted to reach out to Daryl, touching his arm in a comforting gesture. Daryl only ripped his arm back and stepped away from her.

"Don't fucking touch me," Daryl snapped. He entered into one of the closest rooms and shut the door behind him, locking it with the small chain. He backed away from the door and towards the middle of the musty room and sighed. He didn't want anyone staring at him or trying to pity him. If anything, he deserved it—every word that Leah said. He wasn't even sure why it hurt so much to hear her say that he wasn't her father. He _wasn't_. It was just the truth.

He just wanted to be left alone and expressing anger was one surefire way of keeping everyone at bay.

The mirror hanging on the wall caught his attention as he briefly stared back at his reflection. When was the last time he had even looked in a mirror? It didn't matter though, and it didn't help. Seeing his own reflection only made him think about his dad, how much of a resemblance he showed. Not only that but how much of a lowlife _bastard_ the old man was. There were plenty of reasons why Daryl knew he never wanted any kids and now he felt like he was staring back at his answer.

Daryl had clenched his fists as his sides unknowingly before he ended up punching the mirror. It took a good two swings before the glass shattered and fell at his feet. He took a couple steps back, glass crunching, before he inspected the damage. His right hand was shaking and his knuckles were a bit cut up and bleeding.

At least he succeed in destroying the mirror.

* * *

Leah couldn't help but to go with her initial reaction. She was angry and she couldn't get passed it. She had to let it out. She didn't realize she had made the mistake of taking it out on Daryl. It just seemed easy at the time, nothing or nobody else to turn to in that moment. She just assumed that he would be okay and do what her mom used to do when she was mad. When she yelled at her mom over something—usually something ridiculous—her mom would just comfort her or do something to try and make her laugh, change the subject. But Daryl just let her yell at him and he left without a word.

"I don't know how much you heard, but he really is sorry." Skyler was still sitting on the bed with Leah in the room that she hid herself in. She tried to explain to Leah the circumstances but Leah already knew.

"I didn't listen to everything," Leah admitted.

"He just wanted to protect you is all. Even I told him I wouldn't want you to know… But it wouldn't be right to keep it from you. He was going to tell you."

"I didn't mean to say what I did and now I feel bad. I didn't think he'd just walk away…" Leah sighed. Now that she thought about it, she had never really been this way towards Daryl. Not before the outbreak.

"I think he understands. He just wanted to give you some space." Skyler placed her hand on Leah's knee. Leah instantly noticed that she still wore her wedding ring, and for whatever reason it was like it had just dawned on her. Maybe she was just being selfish in some naïve way—she had lost her mom, her cousin, and her uncle. But she wasn't the only one who had lost family. Skyler lost her sister, husband, and daughter, and Leah knew that Skyler's pain had to be worse than her own. Skyler was a lot closer to all of them than Leah was. She just had to be thankful for still having Skyler, and Daryl. They were all Daryl had left now too.

Skyler got back to her feet, "I'm gonna go talk to Daryl. See if we can smooth all of this out." She looked down at Leah and forced a smile.

"Okay," Leah nodded. She waited for Skyler to leave before she got up off the bed herself and headed back outside. She could see Lori approaching Skyler as they met half way but they were out of earshot. Leah moved in closer to everyone else before she noticed T-Dog and Rick were walking over to join Lori and Skyler. The four of them had moved to one of the doors as T-Dog knocked on it.

"Yo, Dixon. Open up," T-Dog folded his arms. He glanced over at Lori, "You sure this is the right room?"

"Yes, he went into this room. I've tried talking to him and tried to get him to answer me but I'm getting nothing," Lori replied. She tucked her hair back behind her ears seeming rather nervous.

"Daryl?" Skyler tried now, receiving nothing but silence.

"Get yo cracker ass over here and open this door, Dixon," T-Dog tried for a more humorous approach, something that would have been sure to get a reply out of Daryl. Yet it still remained silent.

Rick shook his head, "He would have said something by now. It's not like him to ignore a remark like that for sure."

Skyler twisted the doorknob, surprised that it was unlocked this whole time, but fell short when the chain caught. "Daryl? Come on, this isn't funny…" Her voice wavered as it became apparent that she was beginning to worry.

"Ain't no way in hell I'm gonna try to slam the door down," T-Dog immediately replied.

Leah still stood back quite a ways as she watched everyone. She could hear and see all of their actions just as plain as day and it was beginning to make her worry. Why wasn't Daryl answering?

Andrew now approached the small group with a fire axe in hand. The others looked at him with bewilderment.

"You want in, right? So then step back," Andrew warned.

Lori, Skyler, Rick, and T-Dog all took a few steps back just as Andrew took his first swing. He was aiming for the chain that was attached to the door, the hard _thwacks_ of the axe rattling the small chain with a heavy force. After a few tries, and still no response from inside the room, the chain had been ripped off the wall and the door swung open slightly. Skyler was the first to enter the room, followed by Rick and T-Dog.

Leah stayed put and waited for them to come back outside. Lori and Andrew stood just outside the door and seemed to be waiting for the verdict as well. Only when Skyler reemerged, she looked distressed. Something was wrong.

Skyler walked away from the room as the others slowly followed her. And that's when Leah took that as her opportunity.

Leah entered into the room now, not sure what to really think or expect. Everyone seemed upset but not to any extreme. But that's when she saw what they did—the broken mirror, the blood, and the open back window. Daryl had punched the mirror and he left.

Leah really regretted taking her anger out on him now. He just _left_. He didn't tell anyone where he was going, he didn't say a word. Gone, just like that.

So now it was Leah's turn to step up. She adjusted the Glock in the waistband of her jeans, always carrying it since Daryl gave it to her. She gripped onto the window sill and looked back towards the front door before she slipped out of the window unnoticed. She had no clue where Daryl could even be but she knew she had to find him. She had to fix things—they had to fix it together.


	27. My Disaster

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

_**My Disaster.**_

It was late in the afternoon before Skyler saw Daryl return to the motel. He had just walked back into the parking lot with his crossbow slung over his shoulder. The way he had his hand gripped onto the strap showcased his bloody knuckles, her stomach feeling as though it were doing flips. _He was okay_.

"Where did you go?—and why on earth did you leave in the first place?" Skyler quickly grabbed him by his arm, making him stop to face her.

"Out," Daryl retorted. "Does it matter?"

"Yeah, it kind of does. We all thought you were still in that room and when you didn't answer us…" Skyler shook her head. "I was worried about you, okay?"

"Went for a walk, didn't know I had to check in to make sure it was alright to go," Daryl scoffed.

"You don't but it would be nice to have a heads up. I talked to Leah. I'm sure she would like to see you now that you're back." Skyler cast a glance back and noticed that just about everyone was still outside. They were all aware that Daryl was back.

Daryl dipped his head down for a moment before looking back at Skyler, "She sounded like she wanted nothing to do with me."

"You know that's not true."

It was shortly after that when a shrill scream pierced the air. And Daryl's words only seemed to confirm the sudden fear that gripped Skyler:

"Where's Leah?" His eyes were searching the parking lot just as Skyler turned to look for herself. She couldn't help but think that this was the second time she had lost track of Leah, the first being when the herd blew through the farm. Leah had taken off with Carl and Sophia then, and Daryl had found them in the barn. But Carl and Sophia were both accounted for. Leah had gone off on her own.

Skyler couldn't even form any words before Daryl took off running across the street and back into the woods. She suddenly felt even more sick to her stomach. Leah had apparently snuck off to try and find Daryl by herself. And now there was no telling how far she got or what she had run into for her to scream like that. There was no mistaking it—it was definitely Leah.

"What's going on?—" Olivia was right by Skyler's side in an instant as soon as Daryl took off.

Skyler could only shake her head, "I don't know…"

* * *

Daryl didn't hesitate. When he heard the scream he knew it was Leah. He ran as hard and as fast as he could in the direction that it had come from, almost wishing that she would scream again so he could make sure his ears didn't fail him.

Daryl was weaving in and out of the trees before he came to a halt, three men in view. He could see that the one had a hold of Leah as she tried to claw her way free. He had dark hair with an olive green bandana wrapped around his head pushing his hair back and off of his forehead. He looked to be about average height and build, maybe in his thirties. His style and up kept goatee only made him look like an absolute douchebag.

Without hesitation, Daryl raised his crossbow just as the other two noticed him, raising their guns—assault rifles. Their overall appearance and choice of weaponry only suggested that they were well to do. Not to mention they looked _clean_.

"Let her go," Daryl growled, his eyes narrowed on the man that kept his hand firmly planted over Leah's mouth while he paid no attention to the other two. He had the crossbow aimed for the man's head with his finger resting on the trigger, his right knuckles still burning. If he shot now, it wouldn't do him any good with the other two men targeting him. He was quickly realizing he had already taken a wrong approach.

The man holding Leah back only displayed a malicious grin, raising the Glock Daryl realized he must have taken from Leah and placed it to her temple. "She your daughter?" When Daryl didn't respond, he continued, "She looks awfully pretty to be yours."

The other two men, who at this point seemed to be the henchmen, began to space out. Their movement caught Daryl's attention in that brief moment as he noticed they were cornering him, trapping him between the three. But he let it slide and didn't dare show any sign of intimidation. The only thing he was concerned about was getting Leah out of there.

The man in front of him jammed the gun further into Leah's temple, making her claw at his hand. A few tears fell from her panic stricken eyes that she had glued onto Daryl out of desperation, the look on her face screaming _help me_.

"Drop the crossbow and show me your hands," the man bellowed, the grin still lingering on his face as he had the upper hand in the situation.

Daryl hesitated, gritting his teeth before he complied. He slowly placed the crossbow down by his feet never tearing his attention from the man and showed his hands.

"Now the knife." The man nodded his head, staring at the knife that hung from Daryl's belt. And once again, Daryl complied, cursing under his breath. "Kick them away—keep your hands where I can see them."

Daryl glared at the man as he kept his hands up, palms facing forward, and pushed his crossbow and knife out of immediate reach without moving from his location. The guy closest to him on his right—some Asian looking kid—stepped forward and moved the weapons completely out of his reach before he resumed his guard.

The man that still kept a hold of Leah glanced between the two men as though signaling them and gave them a brief nod. "Put your hands on your head. And I suggest you keep them there."

Daryl listened to his instruction as the two men with the assault rifles stepped forward and frisked him for any other weapons. Daryl partially wanted to commend them for having a brain, the sly bastards. They were thorough.

"He's clean," the one to his left announced with a slight tremble to his voice as they stepped back a bit. They stayed closer this time though, not allowing as much of a distance as before. The guy to his left looked like a complete pipsqueak, maybe in his twenties. He couldn't have been too old and he didn't look like he wanted to be there. Regardless, their news received a nod from the man standing front and center.

"Let her go," Daryl repeated himself, using the same menacing voice and glare as before. He wasn't going to let the fact that he was absolutely weaponless drag him down. He could deal with these assholes. He was going to get Leah out of this one way or another.

"Sure thing."

That was the last thing Daryl heard before he felt the butt of an assault rifle crash into the back of his head and everything went black.

* * *

Leah stared in horror as Daryl crumpled to the forest floor. She froze in that moment as the Asian looking guy gave him a slight kick, ensuring that he was indeed out cold.

"Better hope he doesn't wake up anytime real soon. Might get your ass handed to ya," the man that still had his hand over her mouth spoke. "Still gotta get back with these two."

"Why do we need them? Can't we just take their weapons and call it a day? I mean, it is getting late…"

"Hey, shut your mouth and help me out," the Asian barked. He had already swiped Daryl's crossbow as his next task was to apparently carry Daryl back to wherever they were set up with the help of his friend.

Leah didn't necessarily think anything through. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from these guys, away from the guy that was holding her. She managed to bite his hand as hard as she could as he finally let up, letting out a slight yelp of pain. She tried to run forward but the guy retaliated almost immediately and snatched her by her hair, yanking her back and sending a sharp pain to course through her head.

"You little bitch—"

Leah didn't stop there though. She couldn't, she knew her life as well as Daryl's counted on it. She dug her nails into the guy's arm that had grabbed her by her hair, knowing full well that she had to have drawn blood. She then kicked at his leg blindly, feeling her foot connect with his shin, getting out of his grasp once more.

She moved forward, set on making a run for it, to grab Daryl's knife that still lay on the ground. But she ran right into the Asian guy as he blocked her path, grabbing her by the shirt. He then took her by both of her arms and pinned them behind her back, shoving her to her knees. She couldn't begin to match his strength and was easily overpowered, the feeling of defeat washing over her. They were trapped.

"She seems pretty feisty to me. Sure you can handle her?" The Asian directed his words towards the guy with the bandana, who was now looking over his arm. She had drawn blood—and who said fingernails were useless?

The guy muttered something incoherently under his breath before he shoved the Glock into the waistband of his jeans. "Just grab the guy and let's go." He stepped forward and took Leah back from the Asian. And even though it was a lost cause, Leah still did her best to give him hell.

* * *

After Daryl took off, Skyler was determined to follow after him. Rick and Andrew stopped her before she could step foot out of the parking lot though.

"You can't go out there alone," Andrew grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. Rick was by his side with the same look on his face showing that he agreed with Andrew.

"I have my gun, and if _somebody_ doesn't start hightailing their ass out there after him then I am. Right now," Skyler pulled her wrist free, narrowing her eyes. "Leah is out there and God knows what's happening—"

Rick raised his hands in a manner as if he were saying 'calm down'. "Then we'll go with you, but you're not going alone."

"Fine. Then let's go before we lose him." Skyler pulled the Browning BDA from the backside of her jeans and started across the street into the woods. She could hear Rick and Andrew following right behind.

"I think we already lost him…" Andrew muttered before he caught up.

Skyler tried to ignore him as the three of them stuck together in search for Leah and Daryl. Of course there was nobody in sight seeing as Daryl took off like a bat out of hell. But Skyler did have one thing: she had the direction that he went in, the direction that Leah's scream had come from. At least it was something.

But the deeper they seemed to go into the woods, the darker it became. The sun was slowly setting and taking the light with it. There was no sign that either of them were even out there. Skyler's original thought of a walker attack was beginning to seem less likely. If either of them had run into any walkers there would be some on the ground.

"I'm sure they're fine," Rick broke the silence. "Daryl knows how to navigate the woods better than any of us combined." Though the words were a bit comforting, they still did nothing to put Skyler at ease. She needed to physically see that both of them were okay. This world was no longer a place where you could just take someone for their word, hope that they're right. She needed hard evidence.

Though what they ended up finding a few steps later could constitute as hard evidence, it wasn't exactly what she was hoping for.

Andrew had bent down to pick up what appeared to be Daryl's knife, "Is this…?"

Rick and Skyler were already staring at the weapon in his hand. Skyler couldn't even find the words to speak. She wanted someone to prove her wrong.

"It's Daryl's…" Rick rested his hands on his hips and sighed as he looked down at the ground.

"Something's wrong—something happened to them—" Skyler ran her hands through her hair on the verge of breaking down.

Andrew only nodded and decided to skip over the whole reassuring speech that Rick had tried for. "Yeah. Somebody else is out here. And there's more than one of them."


	28. Hostages

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** This one is fairly short but the good news is I am working my way right on through. I already have the next chapter finished for the most part, just have to look it over and fix a few things. I apologize if this one seems a bit confusing.

* * *

_**Hostages.**_

Up until this point, Leah had tried everything she possibly could to get free. She had bit, scratched, kicked, punched—but none of it made a difference. The guy with the bandana just kept a hold of her. It didn't take long for him to grab her by both arms and try to keep them pinned behind her.

Leah glanced to the side and bit her lip. The other two men were carrying Daryl as they had him by his arms with his feet dragging across the ground. He was still out cold. There was nothing else in her power that she could do. And when she caught sight of a campfire up ahead, she stiffened.

The fire illuminated a handful of figures as Leah realized that there were more than just the three of these guys. Of course. They were one large group, just like Leah's.

"You're not gonna give us any trouble now, are ya? Behave like a good little girl and do as I say." The man released Leah's arms and placed a firm grip on her shoulder. She could already tell this guy was up to something, that he was scheming. She didn't know what though.

Two people stepped forward as Leah and Daryl were brought into the camp. The one was a tall black male with a strong physique and a black stocking cap. It was a woman who accompanied him. They looked as though they could be related, family of some sort. Not to mention, they both looked confused.

Leah glanced back for Daryl again as she watched the two men carry him off a little ways away. Another man joined them, handing over a roll of duct tape as they set him on the ground and secured his wrists behind his back. A few pats on her shoulder drew her attention back to the mysterious figures.

"Found this little girl out there on her own. This guy tried attacking her. Lucky we found her when we did." He tightened his grip on Leah's shoulder once she flinched at his words.

"That's awful," the woman frowned. "But I'm glad everything worked out then… Are you okay?" She looked at Leah, directing the question towards her. But Leah kept quiet, she didn't move and she didn't say a thing.

"Probably a little shell-shocked. There are some sick people out there," The man with the bandana continued, shaking his head.

The man in front of Leah looked over towards Daryl for a moment, "So what are you going to do with that guy?"

"Figured we'll bring him back with us. All else fails, I think he'd be able to provide us with some helpful information. He had a Glock and a crossbow—pretty well to do if you ask me."

The man and woman just kind of nodded before retreating back towards the fire with other three. Seemingly satisfied in pulling off his lie, bandana guy led Leah over towards a different group of more men—two others to be exact.

"Think you can keep an eye on this one? I've got some business to tend to." Bandana guy nodded his head in Daryl's direction all while patting Leah on the head. She gritted her teeth in frustration but when he removed his hand, she couldn't help but look back. Daryl must have been awake now with the way the three were crowding around him.

Leah made to move towards them, to move to where she could at least _see_ Daryl through them but was grabbed by the arm and yanked back.

"Little girl, you might want to find a better place to be."

* * *

When Daryl opened his eyes, he was half expecting to be blinded by some god awful bright light or the sun beaming down—but it was dark. It took him a moment to register everything. It was night, he was sitting with his back propped up against a tree somewhere in the middle of the woods, and his head was pounding. Not only that but he had the three men from earlier looming over him, and when he tried to move, he quickly found out that his wrists and ankles were bound.

"Would ya look at that, he's awake." The man with the bandana spoke, placing his hands on his hips. Daryl tried to look passed him and find Leah but between the three of them, they did a mighty fine job of blocking his view. "Got some questions for ya."

"Good for you. I ain't interested," Daryl retorted.

The Asian now bent down to his level, not far from his face. He grinned, "I'd be a little more cooperative if I were you. That little girl of yours? She's awfully pretty, if you know what I mean…"

Daryl gritted his teeth. He had no way of attacking this guy, the one thing he wanted more than anything in that moment. So he did the next best thing sure to get any man's blood boiling: he spit directly in his face.

The Asian flinched as he wiped Daryl's saliva from his face, cursing under his breath. The action didn't go unpunished so to speak as the Asian slammed his fist into the side of Daryl's face. The force behind the punch knocked Daryl onto his side, unable to catch himself.

"Tim," the man with the bandana's voice was full of warning.

"You would have done the same fucking thing, Crowley. Don't give me that shit," Tim harped.

This Crowley guy ignored him as he took Tim's place and crouched down to Daryl's level. "You look like you've been handling yourself pretty well. Surely there's more than just you and the girl… There others to your group?"

Daryl disregarded him and once again tried to see passed. He could make out a small campfire that was burning not too incredibly far from where he was lying but he couldn't pinpoint the figures.

"Alright, I'm going to take that as a yes," Crowley continued. "So where is it that the rest of you are hiding?" When Daryl still refused to speak, Crowley sent a kick to his stomach out of frustration. It didn't take much to realize these guys had no patience and a very low tolerance.

Tim grabbed Crowley by his arm and pulled him back for a moment, talking in a hushed tone. "If we bring these two back, I think the Governor will be pleased. Maybe we can get promoted or something. I mean, wasn't that the reason we came out here anyway?"

"Yeah, but we have the other five as well," Crowley replied.

"But those five are it; there aren't any others to their group. We have a chance to find more supplies if we can get this guy to talk. Or maybe the girl?"

Daryl tensed up at the mentioning of Leah. So far she must be alright then. There was no way in hell he was going to stand for these assholes to lay a finger on her. If it made them feel any better, they could just keep hitting him for all he cared.

The third guy had stepped away from Daryl now and joined Tim and Crowley. "Maybe we could just let them go. Like Crowley said, we're already bringing back those other five. And that black guy looks like he could be pretty valuable."

"Don't you pussy out on us now, Neil," Tim pointed a finger.

"I'm just saying… I don't want what happened to Tony and Dave to happen to us. I mean, Nate just barely made it back. And Randall—they're all dead, I'm sure of it. All because they got mixed up with the wrong people."

"They were all too smug and Randall was a complete waste of space, they had what was coming to them. That guy isn't going anywhere," Crowley motioned in Daryl's direction.

This conversation seemed all too familiar as Daryl could recall the name Randall. Surely it wasn't just a coincidence. It had to be the same guy. The kid that he tortured, the kid that Shane killed. The sudden realization sent a chill down Daryl's spine as Randall's words resurfaced from his memory:

"…_One night we—we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters—teenagers, you know? Real young. Real cute. Their daddy had to watch while these guys—they—and they didn't even kill him afterwards. They just—they just made him watch as his daughters—they just—just left him there…"_

Oh, hell no.

Daryl struggled to try and push himself up onto his knees. He wouldn't be able to get on his feet and even if he could it wouldn't do him any good. But maybe he could try and pick at the tape binding his ankles. He had to do something. He couldn't let these guys touch Leah.

But just as he managed to get to his knees, Crowley walked back over to him in just a few swift strides and punched him in the face once again, causing him to land back on his side with a pretty hefty impact.

"Fuck you," Daryl spat, growling.

"Oh, you want to talk now?" Crowley grinned.

"Get this duct tape off me and I'll give ya lots to talk about," Daryl retorted, spitting bits of dead leaves and dirt from his mouth.

"Too bad that's not happening," Tim crossed his arms.

"Pussies," Daryl grumbled, narrowing his eyes.

* * *

Leah could hear some of the things that the men were saying but for some reason, that wasn't the part that bothered her. It's the fact that she could hear every hit they landed on him, whether it was a punch or a kick. The fact that he had no way to defend himself. And the fact that there was nothing she could do to help with these men watching her like a hawk. It took everything she had to bite her lip and hold back from crying. Shedding tears wasn't going to get her anywhere. She had to pull herself together and figure a way out of this mess. After all, it's partially her fault that they're there in the first place. She knew Daryl would come back to the motel eventually but she just wanted to be able to find him and apologize for what she said.

"Hey… are you okay?"

Leah turned at the soft voice nearby, coming to find out that it was the woman from earlier. But even though she was a woman, Leah had nothing to say to her. She didn't want anything to do with any of these people. Actually, that was a lie. She wanted her Glock back…

"Would you like to join us?" the woman tried a different approach.

There were a lot of things that drifted through Leah's mind that she could reply back with, most of them being bitter. But she bit her tongue and hesitantly walked over with the woman towards the small fire that was still going. The man from earlier was over there, as well as another man, a younger looking guy most likely in his teens, and another woman. They looked friendly enough but looks could be deceiving.

"My name's Sasha," the woman introduced herself. "My brother, Tyreese. And that's Allen, his wife Donna, and their son Ben."

Leah just looked at all of them as Sasha blurted their names. She still wasn't too fond on talking to these people, especially if they had anything to do with those men.

"You were out here all alone? Unarmed?" Tyreese leaned forward to get a clearer view of Leah passed Sasha.

"I had a gun," Leah crossed her arms, staring into the fire. "Those guys took it."

"The guy that attacked you?" Sasha questioned.

"No, the other guys. Everything they told you was a lie."

"What do you mean?... Who is that guy then? Were you with him?" Tyreese continued.

She wasn't sure why these people seemed so clueless. The thought crossed her mind that maybe they weren't really with those other men, maybe they're different. Maybe they had been picked up by this group too.

Leah bit her lip, "He's my dad."


	29. Last Man Standing

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** The next chapter is a real work in progress… For some reason I am having a hell of a time getting it started. But once I get there… Whew. The rest should be a breeze. And since I have no way of reaching you: thank you so much, Trey! Words cannot express my gratitude! xoxo

* * *

_**Last Man Standing.**_

Sasha turned to Tyreese, her voice a mere whisper, "Should we be staying with these people?"

"Maybe that guy is a threat. We don't know what happened out there," Tyreese shrugged, his voice level matching his sister's.

Leah could still hear everything they said even though they were trying to speak to each other without her knowledge. They apparently didn't trust her at her word, though it was technically a lie. They didn't need to know that Daryl wasn't her biological father.

"Does it matter? It's not any of our business," Allen spoke up from his side of the fire, obviously able to hear what the siblings were discussing as well. "This group could be what we've been looking for—food, shelter, protection. I don't want to risk losing it, that's for damn sure."

"I don't want to get mixed up with the wrong crowd," Sasha stood her ground, talking back to Allen.

"I have a family to take care of and I'm gonna do what I feel is best for us so we can survive." Allen pulled his wife closer to him and kissed her head all the while shooting a pretty nasty glare in Tyreese's direction.

Leah turned back to see Daryl. The three guys had let up a little while back on the questioning as they were only hovering around him now. Daryl was still lying on the ground defenseless though.

"That man really is your dad?" Tyreese's voice snapped Leah's attention back to them. She only provided him with a nod in return. He glanced around at their surroundings, seeming to take in how many guys there were and what their angle was. Then he turned back to Leah, "We'll get you out of here. You don't need to explain anything else but if that man is truly your father, then the least we could do is help get you two out of here and back on your way."

Leah could only manage to blink a few times trying to take in Tyreese's words. They were going to help?

"No way—you can't ruin this!" Allen snapped. Sasha shushed him, signaling for him to lower his voice. "You're going to make it where we won't get to go back with them. Or worse, killed."

Tyreese shook his head, "You're looking out for your family and I'm looking out for this girl's family. Think about it, Allen."

"I'm not a part of this," Allen muttered.

Leah watched as Tyreese got back on his feet and stretched a bit. He reached into his back pocket and pulled what appeared to be a pocket knife from it. The tiniest little smirk crossed his face as he bent down and held it out to Leah, "Take it. I'll distract these guys and you go get your dad out of here, alright?"

Leah slowly reached out and grabbed the weapon from him, quickly hiding it in her back pocket as she nodded in understanding. "Thank you." She felt like some of her faith had been restored in humanity with Tyreese and Sasha. She still had her work cut out for her though.

Sasha got to her feet now and joined Tyreese's side as they walked a little ways away from the fire. Tyreese called out to Crowley and the others. "I have a few questions, if you don't mind chatting."

Leah couldn't believe how gullible these guys were. The whole lot of them dispersed and left Daryl's side, muttering under their breath. They probably assumed Daryl wasn't getting out of his predicament but that's where they were wrong. Leah couldn't help but smile as she carefully maneuvered her way over to him, unseen by the men. She noticed Sasha placed her hand on one of their arms to turn him more towards them, a fake smile playing on her lips.

"Leah—What're you doing?" Daryl hissed as Leah moved for his ankles.

"Getting us out of here." Leah flashed the small pocket knife for him to see before she cut the tape from his ankles. It took a moment before she was able to get it to slice through the duct tape, working it back and forth until it ripped apart. She tore the tape off of his pant legs and threw it onto the ground. She could hear Tyreese and Sasha trying to keep them busy as Crowley gloated about how great this 'Woodbury' place was, how secure it was to keep out the biters, that they had electricity, water, food, and houses. It sounded like a dream come true and Leah wondered how much of it _was_ true.

"Where'd you manage to get the knife?" Daryl asked as Leah moved for his wrists.

"Tyreese. He's trying to help us." Leah was able to knick the duct tape before she felt a hand tangle in her hair, ripping her backwards and back on her feet to the point where she almost lost her balance. She slightly yelped at the pain coursing across her scalp as she realized once again that Crowley had a hold of her by her hair.

Leah acted fast and the first thing she could even think to do was use the pocket knife. She jammed the short blade back and ended up connecting with Crowley's side, impaling him. He let out a string of curses as he released her and took a step back. Before she knew it, Daryl had rolled over and got to his feet, kicking Crowley where the blade protruded from his side and knocked him flat on his ass, gasping in pain.

"Your gun—go!" Daryl nodded his head towards where the men had placed the weapons. His crossbow sat just beside the Glock that they apparently thought nothing of, leaving it in the open like that. But that was their own stupid mistake and for once, Daryl and Leah's lucky day.

Leah had just grabbed the Glock and turned around to face Daryl. He kicked Tim back from trying to attack as Leah lined up her target, biting her lip. She had shot walkers before but humans were totally different. She tried to ignore the voice screaming in the back of her head that told her this was wrong. But it wasn't wrong, it was self-defense. It was kill or be killed. And she needed to do this.

Leah pulled the trigger and slightly gasped as she realized she nailed Tim right in the chest. She could see blood soak the front of his shirt in an instant before he dropped to the ground. But with all of the shock and hustle and bustle, she didn't realize two of the other men closed in on Daryl. She didn't have time to shoot the one as he closed his arm around Daryl's neck from behind, locking him in some sort of chokehold and using him as a shield, facing towards Leah.

"I'd put the gun down if I were you," the man warned, swaying back and forth with Daryl in his grasp.

There was no way that Leah was going to put her gun down, that much she knew. She also wasn't able to line up a shot with the man being that close to Daryl. She wasn't going to risk it—she knew she wasn't _that_ great of a shot.

A gunshot rang out making Leah jump before she realized the second man who was somewhat close to Daryl hit the ground. She wasn't the only one who was clueless though as her eyes, as well as the man and Daryl, searched the nearby area. That's when she noticed that Crowley, Neil, and Tyreese's group seemed to have disappeared.

Daryl managed to swipe his leg behind his captor's and caused him to stumble back. Just moments after that, another shot rang out and dropped that man as well. Daryl backed up towards Leah as they were both on high alert, looking out into the darkness for the mysterious shooter.

"Leah—Daryl—" Skyler came bursting through the trees and darkness first, running straight for Leah. Leah met her half way before they collided, hugging each other as tight as possible. "Thank God!"

Rick and Andrew were next as Daryl finally sighed with relief. "Didn't mean to bust up the little party you had going, but it looked like we got here just in time," Andrew smirked. He walked over to Daryl and cut the tape off of his wrists, handing his knife back to him.

"We had it covered…" Daryl ripped the tape off his wrists and rolled his shoulders. He glanced over at Leah and smiled before he retrieved his crossbow. Leah wasn't sure if he was entirely serious but his smile was contagious as she returned it. "How'd you find us? No offense, but it's a bit dark and none of you can track for shit."

"I convinced them that we had to keep going," Skyler explained. "We kept walking for a bit before we eventually saw the fire off in the distance. We waited for the right moment to attack."

Rick surveyed the area, his eyes scanning over the bodies that were sprawled out across the forest floor. He gave Tim's body a kick before speaking up, "We should head back. The gunfire probably called some attention to us."

"What about the others? We just gonna leave 'em?" Andrew questioned.

Daryl shrugged, "There ain't no way we can catch up to them now."

Before they started to head back, Leah noticed Skyler had approached Daryl now. She watched as Skyler hugged him with her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her level as she planted a small kiss on his cheek. And even in the dark, Leah could have sworn she saw Daryl blush just ever so slightly.

* * *

Daryl led the way back to the motor inn, seeing as Rick and Andrew were only stumbling over each other. They didn't have the sense of direction like Daryl had and within about twenty minutes or so, they had made it back.

Everyone looked relieved as the small gang had come into view and entered the parking lot. It became apparent that no one was able to sleep until they had come back safely.

"What happened? Are you guys okay?" Beth stepped forward, glancing back and forth between the five. Her face was still stricken with panic even though they were all right there in front of her.

"A group of men attacked us and brought us back to their little camp," Leah briefly explained. "But we're okay now."

"They seemed like they were pretty well off." Daryl filled everyone in, "Said something about their so-called town 'Woodbury'. And it's apparently run by some guy that goes by the name 'Governor'. Something about being secure from the biters."

"Crowley said that they have electricity too—and food, water, and shelter. Like real houses," Leah added. "Is that even possible?"

"Well… You know how Maggie and I went to check out the town quite a ways down the road?" Glenn spoke up now, rubbing his arm. "We didn't get too close because it looked like they had guards stationed on the walls, but it sounds like this could be that place?"

"It was heavily barricaded. There was no way we could get any closer to get a look." Maggie crossed her arms.

"What if this is the same place?—it's not that far from us…" Lori placed a hand over her mouth. "What if they attack?"

Rick put his hands up, "There's no need for all of us to get in a panic. We got Daryl and Leah back and we're gonna take this one step at a time. I don't think they'll be too much of a problem for us. We killed three of them but they don't know us or where we came from."

"It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out though," Daryl stepped forward. "Think about it… This is the only other place around, ain't it? Those guys that got away, they could report back to their 'governor' and they could come after us."

"We're not safe here?" Carol questioned.

Rick shook his head, "I don't think they'd come after us. If they have as nice a town as what you've all been saying, they'd have no reason to."

"We can't leave," Carl butted in. "This place is perfect. I think it's the safest place we're going to find."

"We don't have the gas to travel either," Olivia sighed. "So whether these guys try to plot some sort of revenge or not, we're stuck here."

"Yeah, but we'll see 'em coming," Andrew shrugged. "I say bring 'em on. We'll just pick 'em off one by one all over again."

It took a while for everyone to settle down after the news. It was ultimately decided that they weren't going to leave. They _needed_ this motel. There was nowhere else that they could go. Like Rick had said—these guys sounded like they were well to do. Those men would have no reason to come after them over three lives when they most likely had plenty more in their 'safe' little town. They planned on minding their business just as well as this 'Woodbury' should in return.

Daryl was seated on the edge of one of the beds in the motel room he was claiming with Skyler and Leah. Leah sat down beside him almost immediately, her face blank.

"I just wanted you to know… I'm sorry about what I said. I was just… upset. But I didn't mean it—what I said to you," Leah confessed. She wrapped her arm around his and leaned against him.

"Don't worry about it," Daryl glanced down at her as she was hugging his arm. "Are you okay? Those guys didn't do anything to you, did they?"

Leah shook her head, "Just that Crowley guy. He pulled my hair twice. But I got my revenge."

Daryl smirked, "Yeah, I guess so. You stabbed him and shot that Asian. Nice shot too."

"Thanks?" Leah let go of his arm now and looked back at him. "I feel bad though. I didn't mean to kill him… I wasn't even going to shoot at first. But he was trying to attack you—"

"Don't worry about it," Daryl repeated himself, giving her a small smile. He truly wished she didn't have to attack anyone but the way he saw it, she was able to defend herself. If worse came to worse, maybe she wouldn't need his help if another situation similar to that arose. "Not worried about whether you know right from wrong. You do."

"Yeah…" Leah nodded.

"So this Tyreese guy," Daryl started. "I feel like we owe him something in return… He just randomly offered to help?"

"His sister Sasha had me join them and I told them Crowley was lying. Crowley tried to make it sound like you were attacking me and that they came to the rescue just in time. Tyreese wanted to know who you were and I told him that you were my dad..." Leah turned to look at Daryl. "To me, you are."

Daryl wasn't sure what sort of feeling had washed over him in that moment but he froze up. Leah really thought of him like that?—and she meant it? He could feel his mouth twitch before he managed a smirk, "Well I ain't exactly winning any 'Father of the Year' awards."

Leah smiled and threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "I think you win the 'Kickass Father of the Year' award."


	30. Start The Shooting

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I feel like the rest of the story will be a breeze now that this one is finished. I could be wrong though… And I might have put too much into this chapter and somewhat rushed it along. I feel like I have a bad habit of that. My apologies for any mistakes: I only read through this once after typing it.

* * *

_**Start The Shooting.**_

It was a late morning before everyone got a start to their day, rolling out of their beds and out of their rooms. The threat of this Woodbury place still loomed over their heads but with no other place to go, they stayed put.

Daryl noticed Rick was looking over the map laid out on top of one of the abandoned cars still left in the parking lot. He joined his side and set the crossbow down beside him. "What d'ya got?"

Rick scratched at the stubble on his chin, his brows furrowed as he was focused on the map. "I was thinking about what you said yesterday, about these people. I was just thinking that if I could find someplace else we could go then we could leave here."

"Could always head back to the house we were at. We didn't have any problems there, just a little tight," Daryl suggested.

"I guess so," Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. "We don't have any other options."

"You wantin' to start moving back now?" Daryl questioned.

"Not quite yet. I want to talk it over with Lori first, and the others. I want to do what's best for everyone but if everyone wants to stay here…"

Daryl nodded, picking his crossbow back up and leaving Rick to his business. He spotted Leah talking with Carl and Sophia and caught himself slightly smiling. He never would have guessed Leah felt that way about him, especially with the outburst she had before all of that.

"Are you _smiling_?" Skyler approached him, teasing. "Are you sick?"

"What?—No," Daryl crossed his arms. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

Skyler laughed, "I'm glad you too are okay. And I'm guessing she must have talked to you."

"Yeah, we're good." Daryl glanced over at Skyler. She too was watching Leah with Carl and Sophia, a smile playing on her lips. "You, uh… You doing okay?"

"I certainly can't complain," Skyler replied. She turned to face him now with the same smile. But her smile quickly faded as Daryl noticed she was now looking a little passed him.

Daryl took note of the two vehicles that were slowly coming to a stop just outside of the parking lot out on the road. They were both while, one being a Ford Excursion and the other a Dodge Ram. They both sported a bull bar and a winch and this Woodbury place instantly came to mind.

A handful of men exited from the two vehicles armed with semiautomatics and it was pretty obvious they weren't there to talk. They immediately opened fire, catching everyone stunned and half unarmed within the parking lot. Rick took cover behind the car he was still standing near and the others all ducked down and ran for cover. Daryl grabbed Skyler and pulled her behind the next closest vehicle for protection, looking over towards Leah's direction and noticing that Carol and Lori were ushering the kids into one of the rooms.

By the time Daryl had gotten himself and Skyler situated safely behind one of the abandoned cars, he noticed she was holding her arm. He moved in front of her while her back was propped up against the automobile to get a look for himself, his eyes drawn to the blood.

"I'm fine, just grazed me," Skyler bit her lip.

Daryl didn't say anything as he gently pulled her hand away from the damage. A bullet had indeed grazed her left arm but it wasn't entirely superficial. It looked deep enough to be releasing a line of curses, which Daryl somehow managed to contain.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled the red bandana out. Luckily it was clean, or at least clean enough, as Daryl carefully wrapped it around the wound. He pulled it snug to help stop the bleeding as Skyler hissed in pain, grabbing onto his shoulder with her right hand.

"Sorry…" he muttered. "Stay put." Daryl grabbed his crossbow and slowly glanced over top of the car towards the road. Rick was still in the same place and as far as Daryl could tell, he was the only one who was left over there. It appeared that most everyone else was able to make it into one of the motel rooms.

But Daryl caught a glimpse of Glenn, and two of the men were dragging him towards their vehicle. But with all the gunfire, there was no way he could make a run for it and get Glenn back—not like this.

The gunfire slowly let up after a couple minutes and the men all returned to their vehicles, their tires peeling out on the pavement as they drove on down the road. Daryl ran for Rick just as he was getting back on his feet.

"They got Glenn—" Daryl started.

Rick nodded, sighing, "They got Olivia too. I saw… I just couldn't get them."

Everyone began to emerge from the motel rooms now once they noticed it was quiet again. And it didn't take them long to notice the two missing group members.

"We have to get them back. We can't just leave them," Beth spoke up.

"I already plan on going. I got a bone to pick with 'em," Daryl shouldered his crossbow. The bastards were lucky Skyler wasn't worse off, not to mention the number they did trying to take Leah the day before.

"Now, hang on—" Rick stopped him. "We can't just go barging in. We need at least some sort of a plan."

"Who said 'we'?" Daryl questioned. "If we all go in there swinging together, we'll only be tripping over each other. Less is more. One or two of ya can come with me. We sneak in and we do what we gotta do."

"If you're going, I'm going too. For Glenn. And I've at least kind of seen what this place looks like," Maggie stepped forward, volunteering herself.

"Count me in," T-Dog stepped forward as well.

"If we leave on foot now, we should get there right at sundown. We can actually use the night to our advantage." Maggie pulled her pistol from her waistband and checked the clip. "Like Daryl said, we could sneak in and sneak right back out."

"See? Under control," Daryl started walking for the road. "You hold down the fort here."

* * *

"That's where guards were stationed yesterday was on top of that wall… I don't understand why they're not there anymore," Maggie kept her voice down as the three crept along the trees in the dark. They had just reached Woodbury since leaving shortly after the attack they staged on them back at the motel.

"Maybe they're taking a break," T-Dog suggested. "They could come back at any minute."

"Don't matter, we still gotta find a way in and it ain't gonna be through there." Daryl surveyed the surrounding area. There was a little bit of light emitting from this so-called 'Woodbury' but there didn't appear to be any walkers in close proximity. He started towards the side of the town, walking away from the front gate where guards were more than likely to return to their posts. "There's gotta be another way in. Something a little less conspicuous than knocking on their front door."

"S'damn shame we can't just barge on in like they did to us…" T-Dog sighed.

"We don't have the weaponry or the power in numbers like they have. It'd just be suicide. Daryl's right about trying to approach this in a stealthy manner," Maggie voiced her input.

"Just c'mon and stop bickering. Don't know where these guys could be and if they hear any of us, we're screwed," Daryl shot back at the two. He kept the crossbow steady in front of him just to be on the safe side as they made their way around the corner of the town. Daryl immediately spotted a breach in the wall they had surrounding Woodbury and made a move for it. He glanced around before shouldering the crossbow and grabbing onto the metal, slightly pulling it back. It groaned in protest as Daryl grit his teeth.

"Oh, and they'll hear our voices?" Maggie hissed.

"You got a better idea?" Daryl pulled the metal sheet back far enough that they could squeeze through. Walkers weren't smart enough to break in but they had a little more intelligence than the walking dead.

Daryl led the way in and made sure Maggie and T-Dog followed right behind him. They ended up in what appeared to be an alleyway, still hidden away in the shadows of the night. Daryl slowly inched forward towards the center of the town that provided a dim glow that was casted from various kerosene lamps. It was eerily quiet on their half of town. It seemed like everyone must have been gathered together in one place. It looked similar to some old abandoned warehouse with the multiple broken windows scattered about the walls. It was also more lit up than the rest of the town and chatter was stemming from that same location.

As the three approached the run down building with caution, they could hear one voice that overpowered the entirety. Daryl managed to peak around the corner through the wide doorway while Maggie and T-Dog each picked a different window to sneak a glance.

There stood a man towards the middle of the dirt covered floor, that very man who was droning on and giving some sort of speech, "…attacked our men. Crowley's in critical condition because of what this man's group has done. We've lost good people and I refuse to let these—these _terrorists_ take what is ours." The town's people roared in agreement that something must be done, that they wanted avenged.

Daryl noticed that same man was sporting an eye patch, which seemed very unusual. He figured he had to be this 'Governor'. And that's about the time he realized Glenn was standing out in the middle of the dirt arena as well. He seemed okay, but there was no Olivia in sight.

"We have to do something—" Maggie looked to Daryl for a plan. "What can we do?"

Daryl was already searching the place over from where he stood. There were a handful of men who were carrying semiautomatics and different assault rifles while all Daryl, Maggie, and T-Dog had were pistols and a crossbow. _Peachy_.

"Ain't got much of a choice. Maybe take out a few men and hope that puts the rest of 'em into a frenzy, giving Glenn enough time to get out of there," Daryl explained.

"And what's the plan after that? We just gonna run back the way we came in?" T-Dog questioned, trying to think through the scenario. "What're we gonna do about Olivia?"

"I'll stay," Daryl volunteered himself. "As soon as we get Glenn, you three make a run for it. I'll try to find Olivia."

"I know this is going to sound wrong to say but… is she worth it? We can get Glenn right here and we can all get out of here together, no splitting up," Maggie lowered her voice as if Olivia would be able to hear her.

"She's part of our group," T-Dog shrugged.

"As easy as it would be to go along with that, we can't just leave her," Daryl shook his head. "Doesn't feel right. She deserves a chance too."

"Amen to that," T-Dog nodded. "So we good to go then?"

Daryl gave a slight nod in return as he brought the crossbow up and lined up his target. Maybe it was just him, but he really only had one target in mind—and that was the man who kept running his mouth front and center. He steadied the crossbow and waited for just the right moment, making sure he was lined up. He pulled the trigger and watched as the bolt hit. Only it didn't hit the original target he had planned, but it hit another man who had stepped forward the second Daryl fired.

That particular man's lifeless body hit the ground and set the arena into a panic. Everyone began gasping and shrieking, and when T-Dog and Maggie fired a couple rounds each, it only increased the terror.

"Glenn!—" Maggie screamed his name over the mobs of Woodbury citizens as they flooded out of the place and ran right passed them. Glenn had joined right in with them in trying to escape and T-Dog managed to grab him and pull him aside. Maggie quickly threw her arms around him and kissed him before looking him over for any injuries.

"I'm fine," Glenn reassured her.

"You know where Olivia is?" Daryl questioned, keeping an eye out for the men with guns.

Glenn shook his head, "After they brought us back here, I haven't seen her since."

"Daryl…" Maggie's voice was full of warning, which Glenn picked up on.

"You're going to look for her?"

"Yeah," Daryl replied. He reloaded the crossbow, "You guys get out of here and I'll cover ya if need be. Otherwise I'll lay low. Whatever happens, don't look back and just keep going. Get back to the motel and warn the others."

"What about you?" T-Dog asked.

"I'll figure something out. Now get your asses moving," Daryl waved them on.

Maggie took the lead with Glenn and T-Dog following right behind her, keeping Glenn in the middle since he was weaponless. Daryl watched them for a brief moment before he made his way towards a nearby alley to keep hidden in the shadows. Though feeling paranoid, he turned back one last time and it was a good thing he did.

A few men had spotted the three trying to make their escape. T-Dog and Maggie shot at the men as Daryl even took aim from where he was standing. More gunfire had erupted and rang throughout Woodbury sending the civilians into even more of a frenzy. They managed to take out a few of them but T-Dog was shot in the process. Daryl cursed under his breath as he watched T-Dog cover Glenn and Maggie while they escaped. Two more gunshots and T-Dog was on the ground.

Daryl felt a surge of regret for being so damn stubborn and wanting to try and find Olivia now. This was the risk they took coming in here to get Glenn and Olivia back. Not only that, but the group back at the motel was at risk as well. Since the little tangle in the woods, they were on Woodbury's radar. And for some reason, Daryl was pretty confident that it wouldn't have mattered if they'd killed three of their men or not—this place still would have attacked just because they existed.

T-Dog had kept the armed men from following Maggie and Glenn too closely and Daryl had fired a bolt, killing another man, and throwing them off. At least it kept them stunned for a moment trying to figure out where the bolt had come from, though it wasn't too hard to pinpoint a direction with the way the bolt had lodged itself into the man's head.

Daryl rounded a corner and kept low, sticking between the outer wall and the backside of the buildings. He kept the crossbow ready and glanced down every little alley possible, getting a glimpse of what was out towards the center of the town. He spotted a two story with double doors that looked like it could be their headquarters, the place where their apparent leader probably stayed. That was his best guess for finding Olivia. The only problem was that he now had to get to the other side of the town, which meant he would have to go out into the light and chaos, exposing himself.

Daryl kept to the shadows in the meantime, continuing to walk behind the buildings. He glanced back just to make sure he wasn't being followed. Of course when he turned to face forward again, he could only register a quick flash of something flying towards him. He managed to just barely avoid it, stumbling back. It was a man with a backwards baseball cap and the object that had come flying towards him was the aluminum baseball bat the man had gripped in his hands.

Another man had appeared from around the corner and Daryl smacked him upside the head with the crossbow, knocking him back. Though it didn't take long for the men to seemingly multiply and surround him. And Jesus fucking Christ, had he not just gone through this about 24 hours ago?

Daryl tried to fight them off but he felt a pair of hands grab onto him, followed by another, then another. They ripped the crossbow from his hands just as he managed to punch the damn smirking Mexican in the face. He'd give him something to smirk about.

Baseball Cap spit to the side, glaring. "Take _pendejo_ here to the Governor. I'm sure he'd like to give him a warm welcoming."


	31. Monster

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** There were so many ways I could or should have went with this and believe me, it was hard to choose. I can't say I chose the right path but oh well. It's written, it's posted, you've read it, and now I gotta stick with it. I'm going to go hide in my corner now. Can that be my official warning for this chapter?

* * *

_**Monster.**_

It took five men in order to restrain Daryl. They just barely managed to get him into some poorly lit room, let alone secured to a chair. With his arms and ankles bound to the damn piece of furniture, all he could do was glare.

Baseball Cap walked into the room just in time to see Daryl trapped like a wounded animal, grinning at the sight. He stopped right in front of Daryl, pausing momentarily before he pulled his fist back and punched him in the face.

"Payback's a bitch." He turned to walk away, the other five following his lead. The door slammed shut behind them leaving Daryl completely alone in the silence.

"Asshole…" Daryl muttered. He tried to pull his limbs free but gave up shortly after. _Duct tape_ was one hell of a bitch. As he glanced around the room he noticed what looked like his knife was sitting on the table a few feet away. But knowing he was defeated, having no way to get it, all he could do was wait—the one thing that would drive him crazy. He didn't even know if Glenn and Maggie got away. It looked like they did but that didn't give him any proof. What if they had been captured as well? What about the group back at the motel? Would Rick get everyone out of there? And Leah and Skyler…

A few minutes later and the door opened. Daryl stared as the man with the eye patch entered the room and shut the door behind him. "I apologize for any inconvenience. Martinez can be a little hostile."

Daryl kept his mouth shut as he watched this man approach the table. He pulled the spare chair away and set it a few feet in front of Daryl. "May i?" He motioned towards the chair as Daryl only stared through narrowed eyes in response. The man took a seat anyway. "I have to admit. Sometimes it just feels good to sit down at the end of the day. I would say it's been a rather long day, wouldn't you?"

"My name's Philip, but my people here call me the Governor. I guess the name just sort of stuck," the man continued. "There, now I've introduced myself. This is the part where you introduce _your_self."

Daryl still refused to even open his mouth. He had nothing to say to this guy unless he wanted to be a smartass and ask if he ever got tired of listening to his own voice.

The _Governor_ chuckled, casting his glance towards the wall before returning to Daryl. "I see you're not a big talker but a man of action. I admire that." He nodded to himself, "You tried to kill me."

"Yeah, and I would've too if that dumbass hadn't stepped forward when I pulled the trigger," Daryl retorted.

"Ah, you do speak. Normally I wouldn't even bother to come see you face to face. I have a particular assistant that usually fulfills this job but for some reason or another, I found it unfit. So needless to say I think he'll be out of commission for this one."

"That's a shame. I was really hoping to meet another condescending prick," Daryl muttered.

The Governor smiled, leaning forward. "By my understanding, you're the one that my men found out in the woods. Care to explain what happened?" When Daryl remained silent, the smile only tightened on the Governor's face. He was clearly beginning to get fed up with the same antics.

"You said it yourself; I'm a man of action. Don't have much of anything to say to you," Daryl clarified.

"'Man of action'…" The Governor repeated, nodding. He got back to his feet and took a few steps towards the door before he stopped and turned back. He closed the gap between him and Daryl, towering over him since he was bound to the chair. The Governor removed what appeared to be a wedding band from his ring finger and shoved it in his pocket before he rolled his shoulders a couple times.

Daryl already knew what was coming way before he landed the first punch, hitting him in the face exactly where Martinez had minutes before. Three more punches followed, each impact jerking Daryl's head to the right no matter how much he tried to stay still.

"It's because of you. You've destroyed everything I've built here in Woodbury. You attacked my people and now they feel like their lives are threatened—the one safe place that they can call home."

"Good," Daryl spat. "You had it coming. You're the one that started all this. If your so-called _people_ would have minded their own damn business, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The Governor gritted his teeth as he punched Daryl in the face once again before grabbing him by the chin and forcing him to look at him. "My _people_ were out scouting for supplies. And it is also my understanding that, thanks to you, we've lost two newcomers who could have been very beneficial to Woodbury."

"Ain't my problem." Daryl jerked his head back and out of the Governor's grasp. He spit to the side, the taste of blood becoming all too familiar and nauseating. Catching a glance at the Governor's knuckles only furthered his discomfort. He felt lucky that he could still breathe out of his damn nose and see out of his left eye.

The Governor walked back towards the door and opened it, ushering someone in. Daryl quickly realized that it was yet a different man as he shoved someone forward—Olivia. She was alive after all, though that wasn't saying much. She appeared traumatized, trembling and bloody. The Governor kept a hold of her, pushing her further into the room with him once the door was shut.

"This one… Well, this one put up quite a fight. Still hasn't told us anything either. She's tough," he nodded as if agreeing with himself. "But even the strongest people crack." The Governor locked eyes with Daryl in that moment, a grin slowly spreading across his face. Just because he was able to reduce Olivia down to tears didn't mean anything to Daryl—he wasn't going to comply no matter what.

The Governor released Olivia, slightly pushing her towards the ground as she fell to her knees, quickly pulling herself into a sitting position with her knees pulled to her chest. He then grabbed Daryl's knife from the table, throwing the sheath back as he circled around Daryl.

"So what will it take to break you?" His voice hummed as he disappeared behind Daryl and out of his sight.

Daryl scoffed, "Nothing you could ever do."

It fell silent as Daryl was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable with the unknowing. He looked to Olivia in hopes of reading her face, to try and guess what was or wasn't coming. Even though it was driving him crazy not knowing, he refused to try and turn his head to look. He could at least keep his dignity.

Daryl felt a sharp tug at his scalp as the Governor grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head back. He did so with enough force that he had actually tipped the entire chair back on its hind legs as he brought the knife up to his throat. Daryl's immediate reaction was to kick out, to pull the knife away, but he was stuck.

"No, God—please don't! No!" Olivia screamed. She was now sitting with her legs pulled under her and off to the side practically sobbing.

"So we have two people who aren't willing to share any information. And those two people are too… _heroic_ to cave when it comes to their own life. But at the risk of another's?" The Governor pulled Daryl back even farther and pressed the blade down harder.

Olivia covered her mouth as she tried to cry quietly into her hands, "Please don't…"

"Don't you say a damn word!—" Daryl warned, hating the feel of his own knife pressed against his throat.

But the Governor released him as he fell forward, the chair landing back on all fours. Daryl had a funny feeling that he wasn't done—something about this man screamed psychotic.

Olivia cried out just as Daryl felt an agonizingly sharp pain in his right shoulder. He immediately tensed up, which was his first mistake, hands gripping onto the arms of the chair and gritting his teeth. The Governor had driven the knife into his right shoulder, the handle of the blade visible from the corner of Daryl's eye. The Governor then wrenched the knife upward, receiving an involuntary gasp of pain from Daryl as he clamped his eyes shut.

In no time at all, the Governor had hauled the knife out of Daryl's shoulder and started heading for Olivia. She shook her head and started to crawl backwards just as he caught her by an ankle and drug her closer. She kicked him, nailing him square in the chest, before she started to try and throw punches only to be caught by the wrists. The Governor shoved her flat to the ground, almost straddling her back as he pulled her up by her hair and whispered softly while staring at Daryl, running a hand along Olivia's jaw. "You shouldn't have come here. You won't leave here alive."

He tossed Olivia back to the ground and retreated to the exit, leaving the room with a smug grin on his face and Daryl's knife still in his hand. Olivia quickly clambered to her feet and threw herself at the door, only to find it locked. She slowly slid down the door, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm so sorry…" Olivia whispered, her voice cracking. She forced herself back to her feet a moment later, making her way over to Daryl's side. She bit her lip as she tried to tear the duct tape binding his arms.

"S'not your fault they grabbed you." Daryl was doing his best to ignore his shoulder and look anywhere but there. He wasn't ready to admit to himself that he had just been stabbed with his own damn knife.

Olivia shook her head, "You really shouldn't have come here though."

"Had to get you and Glenn back."

"Did… did the others make it out?" Olivia questioned, looking him in the face.

Daryl cringed, "Maggie and T came with me. We got Glenn out but T-Dog didn't make it…"

"Why didn't you just leave with them?"

"Because you're a part of the group and I wasn't about to leave you behind. I know enough about how that feels and you at least deserved a chance." Sure it was also because he was too stubborn to just give up that easily, but he was also sick and tired of losing more and more people.

Olivia gave up on trying to tear the duct tape and wiped her face. She and Daryl both knew it was a lost cause before she even tried.

"What'd he do to you?—He didn't…?" Daryl stared at her now. Her reaction said it all as she lowered her head and bit her lip, more tears forming in her eyes. Daryl cursed under his breath. "…Fucking sick bastard."

The Governor returned, making sure the door shut behind him. He stabbed the knife into the table and instantly made his way over towards Olivia. "Play time's over," he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"Daryl—" Olivia gasped before she clamped a hand over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She tried to pull free from his grasp but failed as he drew his sidearm from his holster. And just like that, before either of them could truly register what was happening, the Governor pointed the pistol directly at her chest and pulled the trigger.

Daryl immediately turned his head away, his stomach doing flips at this point while his heart hammered away in his chest. This guy was _beyond_ psychotic, there was no stopping him.

"Daryl, huh?"

Daryl kept his mouth shut and refused to look anywhere near the Governor or Olivia's body. If he was being honest with himself, he felt like he could throw up. He couldn't move, his shoulder was killing him, and Olivia was now another checkmark on the list of people that had been killed in this world. Odds weren't looking to be in his favor either.

"Interesting…" the Governor paused long enough to grin. He continued, "Your people killed three of my people. And since you've taken one of my hostages, I'm still down by one."

Daryl swallowed whatever it was he felt was about to come up, "So what, you gonna kill me? That your big plan—to break even?"

"In the long run, yes." The Governor still wore that same malicious grin as he walked towards the table. His eye was on Daryl's knife that he had brought back into the room with him. As soon as his hand wrapped around the handle, pulling it free from the wood table, Daryl felt a cold chill run down his spine.

_You can take it. Be a man. You're gonna get out of this. _

Daryl tried to calm his breathing as the Governor started to move back towards him now. He found himself looking over at Olivia's body, a glimmer of hope that she was still breathing. But she didn't move, her chest didn't rise and fall, she was _dead_.

Daryl caught of glimpse of the Governor from the corner of his eye just as he brought the knife down. The blade went straight through his left hand and had even managed to dig a little into the arm of the chair as Daryl could hear—he could _feel_—the knife lodge itself further. He bit down on his lip which in turn drew even more blood as he clenched his eyes shut.

_You're gonna get out of this… Don't be a pussy... _

Daryl tried to open his eyes afterward but his vision felt like he was swimming. He told himself to breathe, that no matter what happened, the others back at the motel would be safe. He could count on Rick to keep Leah and Skyler safe if worse came to worse, though he wasn't sure how much worse it could really get at this point.

The Governor left the knife embedded in Daryl's hand as Daryl could vaguely make out his figure heading back for the door. He could have sworn he heard the word _brother_ pass his lips but that didn't make a lick of sense.

And before Daryl could really even give it much thought, he blacked out.


	32. Cold

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Well, I don't think I scared anyone away with the last chapter. That's good, haha. You guys are really making me conflicted with this story! I keep bouncing around with my plans. I think I'm going to make myself stick with the original plan though.

Trey: Since you don't have an account, I have no way of replying to your review. But my gosh, thank you so much! You are way too kind!

* * *

_**Cold.**_

As soon as Daryl had left with T-Dog and Maggie, he was all Skyler could think about. Yes, she should be concerned for Glenn and Olivia for being taken. Yes, she should be worried about Maggie and T-Dog just as well. But she didn't know the others like she knew Daryl—she wasn't as close to them. She knew Daryl was plenty capable of standing his own ground but with the way those people attacked earlier…

Leah shifted on the bed before she threw one of the pillows on Skyler's lap and lay down. It had probably been at least a couple hours since they left as night was approaching. The day only seemed to drag on and she knew Leah had to be exhausted because _she_ was. But she couldn't sleep. Not after earlier and not without Daryl.

Skyler ran her fingers through Leah's hair and pulled it all together as though she were about to put it in a ponytail. "I know, I should have said something… I should have stopped him from going."

"He wouldn't have listened anyway. He's too stubborn like that," Leah hugged the pillow and curled up.

"That's true." Skyler forced a smile, "I'm sure we're just worrying for nothing. They'll get Glenn and Olivia back and we'll all get out of this place before they can stage another attack. It'll all be okay." Maybe it was the motherly instinct in her, but even though she felt like it was all a lie, she knew she needed to say something to try and put Leah at ease. They _didn't_ know anything for sure so there really wasn't any need to get too worked up over it.

"I hope…" Leah mumbled.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep? They probably won't be back until closer to morning," Skyler offered. She still ran her fingers through Leah's hair out of nervousness, though it soothed her a little.

Leah sighed, "I can't. I want Daryl back. And the others…"

"I know, sweetie. I know."

Skyler glanced down at her arm and smiled. She had Hershel take a look at where the bullet had grazed her and he stitched it up for her. By request, he wrapped Daryl's bandana back around the wound. It was really the only thing she had of his but it kind of brought her a sense of comfort.

Of course they weren't _in a relationship_ but that didn't mean that she didn't love him. He always seemed to be looking out for everyone. He was always great around Leah. And she knew her sister was the happiest she had ever been with him.

She tried to pull herself back together before she started to cry. Thinking about how things used to be wasn't helping any, picturing Elena and Daryl together with Leah, picturing Matt and Hannah. She was honestly shocked at how well Leah seemed to be keeping it together. If she wasn't mistaken, she'd almost guess that Leah _was_ keeping it together better than she was.

The next thing Skyler was even aware of was the fact that there was now a bit of daylight peeking through the window of the motel room and she could faintly hear voices outside towards the parking lot. She had fallen asleep with Leah still lying in her lap curled up.

Skyler gently shook her, "Hey… I think they're back."

Leah shot up immediately and jumped off the bed as though she wasn't just asleep a minute ago, "They're back?"

"I can hear someone talking outside," Skyler slid off the bed and followed Leah outside. Her back slightly ached from falling asleep sitting up against the headboard but providing comfort to Leah was worth it.

Only when they did step outside, Skyler felt like her heart stopped. Rick was there with Glenn and Maggie just as everyone else seemed to start coming outside at the sound of their voices as well.

"Where is everyone? Daryl? Olivia and T-Dog?" Skyler forced the words from her mouth as she stared at the young couple.

"They killed T-Dog," Maggie's voice cracked as she spoke. It was only obvious she was still shaken up.

"They still have Olivia," Glenn added.

"But Daryl?" Skyler waited for their response. She felt like they were purposely teasing her with the news. Was Daryl dead too? Was he hurt? Did a walker get him?

"They might have gotten him too," Glenn lowered his head, his words just barely audible.

"What do you mean they _might_ have gotten him?"

"Daryl tried to find Olivia. He didn't want to leave her behind," Glenn briefly explained.

"And you guys just left him there? You didn't do anything?" Skyler knew she sounded ridiculous panicking, shooting all of these questions at Maggie and Glenn. But she couldn't help it. She wasn't even sure she really let the fact that T-Dog was killed sink in.

"There was nothing we could do. You weren't there, it was complete chaos. We barely made it out of there ourselves," Maggie stepped forward, getting defensive. "He was already separated from us when we were attacked trying to leave. I don't think they saw him."

"That's not all…" Glenn cleared his throat. "Merle's there. And Andrea too."

There were a few collected gasps and a burst of chatter among the group at the mentioning of two previous group members.

"Merle? Daryl's brother, Merle?" Leah stepped forward now.

"And Andrea? They're both alive?" Lori was appalled.

Glenn nodded. Maggie didn't know who Merle was, she had never met him. So it left Glenn to do most of the talking.

"Does Daryl know?" Rick sounded stern, his eyes locked on Glenn.

"I—I didn't tell him. Merle and Andrea are a part of this Woodbury place. They're not under any type of threat. I just figured if I didn't say anything, Daryl wouldn't want to stay behind. Because I know he would have wanted to try and get Merle back. But he stayed anyway... I didn't know what to do."

"Merle could get Daryl out of there though, couldn't he? And Andrea?" Skyler questioned.

"I don't know. Those people didn't seem too friendly." Glenn hung his head, his shoulders sagging forward. He and Maggie both looked as though they felt guilty for letting Daryl stay.

Skyler felt a hand on her shoulder as she realized it was Lori. Lori forced a weak smile to show her support and try to comfort her without any words as Carol took her other side. Carl and Sophia had both taken to Leah as well. Hearing the news of T-Dog being killed and Daryl and Olivia still being in Woodbury was extremely unsettling to say the least.

"I would say we need to get out of here and fast, but we can't leave Daryl and Olivia. This isn't up for debate," Lori finally found the words she had been searching for before looking to her husband, her hand resting on her growing belly. "Rick?"

"We're going back," Rick nodded.

There was some movement out towards the end of the parking lot that suddenly drew everyone's attention. It had Rick drawing his Colt Python as the others followed suit with their own weapons.

"We don't mean no harm. Just looking for some help," the unfamiliar man spoke. He raised one arm in the air to show he meant it while the other was supporting an injured woman flanked between himself and another woman.

* * *

Daryl slowly came back around. His head was pounding and his left hand and right shoulder were throbbing. Throbbing was an understatement. It took a minute for his vision to clear up and his memory to catch up with him. He was in Woodbury. The Governor. Olivia…

_Olivia._

Daryl looked over at her only to confirm what he already knew. She was dead. She was shot in the chest. And for a moment, Daryl thought he saw her hand twitch. But the longer he stared, the more he realized he wasn't seeing things. She _was_ twitching, moving. No matter how much he wanted to call out her name, wait for her to just sit up and say that she was okay, he knew better. He could hear the slightest initial raspy breath following the hand twitch.

"_The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as 3 minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours."_

"Shit—" Daryl suddenly felt sick to his stomach again, everything throbbing only that much more. He tugged uselessly to pull free from the duct tape binding him to the chair on instinct. Why he remembered what Jenner had said back at the CDC word for word was beyond him but it was stored up there. It didn't matter how long he was out for, he just needed to find a damn way out of this—and fast.

Daryl attempted to tip the chair over to the right and succeeded, though he was awarded with a sharp pain in his shoulder. He clenched his teeth and tried again to pull his right arm free. Once the chair had made impact with the ground, he heard the slightest crack, praying it was what he thought it was. And finally, after feeling like he was about to rip his arm off, he had succeeded in breaking the arm of the chair. One thing that was working in his favor. But he wasn't quite out of the woods as he cautioned a glance towards Olivia's body then back to his left hand. So far he was making good progress because she wasn't up on her feet yet, though it wouldn't be long before she was.

_Just like ripping off a Band-Aid. No big deal…_

Daryl gripped the handle of the knife protruding from his hand and took a few breaths. He clenched his teeth and pulled as hard as he could, managing to succeed after a couple tries. He immediately cut his left arm free and forced himself up far enough to start cutting the tape off his legs. He was well aware he had his adrenaline to thank as he noticed Olivia was starting to get back up.

And finally, Daryl was free. He scrambled to his feet just before Olivia had reached him, her hands grabbing onto his shirt. He immediately threw his left arm up and placed it just in front of her throat to keep her back, using his right arm to brace his left. The knife was pointed towards her in his hand and he hesitated for a moment before stabbing the blade into her head.

Olivia's reanimated body crumpled to the floor with the knife still embedded in her head as Daryl backed himself up against the nearest wall. All he could do was stare at her body, unfocused, and struggling to catch his breath. He slid down the wall until he was sitting on the ground before he tore his stare away.

He glanced down at his right arm, realizing that the arm of the chair was still taped to him. Of course he had no way of really getting it off with the damage that had been done to his left hand. He didn't even want to think about the damage, whether he'd lose functionality of it or not. So he focused more on getting the tape off of his left arm and legs. He had to try and keep himself occupied with anything and everything but what was right in front of him.

He _had_ to push on. If anything, the others back at the motel were enough incentive to do so. He had to get out of this hellhole and get back to the group, warn them, get them moving if they haven't already. He couldn't let this Governor kill anyone else.


	33. Here We Go Again

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** You know what I just now realized? This site doesn't have Tyreese and Sasha as a character choice! For shame, FFN. For shame… Haha.

Also, the chapter lengths are going to be bouncing all over the place as I'm approaching the end of this story. Just kinda throwing that out there. This has been the shortest chapter yet—even with my ramble! Woohoo!

* * *

_**Here We Go Again.**_

"Tyreese—" Leah immediately recognized the tall man with his sister at his side. She didn't know who the woman was that they were helping though, seemingly unconscious.

"You know these people?" Skyler placed a hand on Leah's shoulder as she nodded in response.

"Tyreese is the one who gave me the knife. He helped us. Sasha too," Leah smiled at them.

Rick lowered his gun and allowed the three to enter the parking lot. He still kept a close eye on them. "Are you a part of Woodbury?"

"We were almost taken there but my sister and I decided to take our chances. Came across this woman on the way," Tyreese explained.

"You had a choice in the matter?" Rick questioned, his brows furrowed.

"We stumbled across a handful of guys—the same guys your girl found. They told us that we could join them, that they had food and shelter, protection. We… had others with us. Allen, Donna, and Ben," Sasha paused, lowering her head. "Donna was bit and Allen refused to leave Woodbury, taking Ben with him."

"And what about this woman?" Andrew pointed at the woman flanked between the two.

"We don't know anything about her," Tyreese confessed.

Hershel stepped forward, "I'll see what I can do to help her. If you don't mind, bring her on over to this room here." He entered into one of the motel rooms and waited for the newcomers to follow.

Once they were out of earshot, Glenn turned to Rick. "You're gonna just trust these people? You heard them—they know about Woodbury."

"They helped Daryl and Leah and they don't look armed. What do you want me to do? Tell them to take a hike?" Rick hissed. "They could help us. They might know something that we don't."

"They'd be stupid to try anything," Carl muttered.

"What about Daryl and Olivia? We still have to get them back," Carol stepped forward now. "I'm more concerned about them in Woodbury than I am with these people."

"They'll help us. I know they will," Leah spoke up over top of everyone. "Maybe they can help us get into Woodbury too."

Hershel exited from the room he had entered just a few minutes earlier, popping out long enough to call Rick over. Glenn made to follow after him but Maggie grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Let Rick handle this," Maggie pleaded.

Glenn gritted his teeth, "If you guys were there, you'd understand. They can't be trusted." He slowly raised his voice as he continued, "They were about to kill me just because I was there! So what do you think they're going to do to Daryl and Olivia?"

Leah tensed up at Glenn's words. Maybe a part of her just assumed that these people would just hold Daryl and Olivia hostage, that they wouldn't hurt them. But if she assumed that then she was just being naïve. Glenn was right and Leah had completely ignored that fact. The fact that they could already be hurt—or worse…

"They won't do anything," Skyler shook her head. "They knew that we would attack back after they took you and Olivia. It was a bluff. It had to be."

"If it was a bluff, it seemed pretty real to me…" Maggie mumbled. She reached out and grabbed Glenn's hand, lacing their fingers together. "They had the whole town gathered around to _watch_."

"Then why are we still standing here?" Carol asked.

Rick emerged from the room now as everyone quieted down. They waited for the news that Rick was about to share, hoping for something good for once.

Rick rubbed at the stubble on his face while he took in everyone's appearance and gave a brief nod. "We're going to Woodbury. This woman, her name is Michonne. I'm gonna have her lead us there and get us in. She used to be on the inside, said she left when it didn't feel right. They tried to kill her for leaving."

"I'm going with then," Glenn crossed his arms.

"And I'll go too," Skyler immediately offered, spiking Leah's heart rate at the thought of her leaving as well.

"No," Rick shook his head. "I'm taking Michonne and Tyreese."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lori questioned her husband's choice. "We don't know them. They're not with us."

"I guess I'll find out," Rick replied.

* * *

Daryl awoke startled by the sound of a door slamming. He flinched at the noise as he cracked his eyes open just in time to see the Governor stoop down in front of him. He tried to raise his right hand only to come up short with a tug and clang of metal on metal. The son of a bitch had handcuffed him to a damn pole.

The man grabbed him just under his chin, seeming to examine the damage he had done to his face with a faint smile. Even through Daryl was still partially out of it, he took his opportunity and managed to spit in the Governor's face.

The Governor chuckled a little at Daryl's attempt and slammed his head into the wall behind him. Daryl wasn't exactly expecting that—though he really didn't think it through. The impact sent a sharp pain to shoot through his head, furthering his headache and disorientation.

"Let's talk, shall we?" The Governor released Daryl and wiped his spit off his face.

"Why the hell'd I talk to you?" Daryl muttered, allowing his eyes to fall shut.

The Governor replaced his hand just under Daryl's chin in a rough manner, snapping Daryl's attention back. "Let's talk family, hmm?" He only grinned as Daryl glared, "I'm sure Merle could prove to be an interesting topic."

Daryl tried to keep his glare but to be honest he wasn't so sure he looked the least bit threatening. More like a lost puppy, especially at the mentioning of Merle. How did he know Merle? He was alive? Was he here in Woodbury? Had he said his name aloud while he was unconscious?

The Governor grinned once again, "Your brother's not exactly done right by me. He doesn't have a clue you're even here. Now tell me, which one of you should I kill first?"

Daryl scoffed, "Somebody has issues. What, the pirate look not working for ya?" He knew he would regret his choice of words but oh well. What did he have to lose at this point? It wasn't like he could go anywhere.

The Governor slammed Daryl's head against the wall again, "I don't usually do the dirty work myself, but you… well, you are the exception. Though it would be quite entertaining to watch your brother slowly kill you." He continued, "Let's try a different approach. You have a daughter, correct? That's what I've been told. You have a little girl, about 13."

Daryl slightly twitched. It didn't matter if he tried to hide it or not, the Governor knew he had hit the right spot.

"I had a daughter too. And do you want to know what happened to her?"

_Not particularly._ Daryl decided to keep his mouth shut, his head having taken enough blows for a damn day.

"She was killed. And this all comes back to your brother. Now do you see the full circle?"

Daryl understood what he was getting at. The sick bastard wanted payback, revenge. He wanted those who were responsible for killing his daughter to suffer. But that was the part that didn't make sense—Merle would never kill a little girl. He could be a real ass at times but he would _never_ purposely kill a little girl.

"What's your point?" Daryl asked, figuring the man would continue on another tirade.

The Governor just stood back up straight and grinned, "Why don't you show me how well you can kill a walker with only one hand?"

Daryl could only stare at him, confused yet praying to God he wasn't serious. He glanced over at Olivia's body with his knife still in her head and felt his stomach doing flips all over again. Killing a walker one handed? He had to be kidding, right? He had a fucking _hole_ in his left hand from that bastard.

The Governor made his way over to the door and opened it, ushering a man into the room. He recognized him to be that Baseball Cap guy—what was his name, Martinez? And of course, he had a walker by the neck with one of those grabber things like it was a dog on a leash.

Martinez looked to the Governor and the Governor nodded. In return, Martinez released the walker, slightly shoving it towards Daryl.

Daryl immediately panicked, his heart racing as he struggled to pull himself back to his feet. A sharp pain ripped through his shoulder as he grabbed onto the metal pole that he was cuffed to and pulled himself up. He kept a hold of it for support as his head started spinning once he was back on his feet. He curled his left arm against his chest, refusing to use that arm unless he absolutely had to, and kicked the walker back. He received a grunt from the thing as it stumbled back clumsily.

Daryl could see Martinez shake his head before he left the room and shut the door behind him. But did the Governor leave? Oh, hell no—the sick fuck stood by the door and watched Daryl struggle to keep the walker off of him, kicking it and trying his best not to use his left hand.

It was a couple minutes later before the Governor slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Daryl trapped where he was.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck…_

Daryl had to use his left hand to push the walker off of him once it grabbed onto his shirt. He managed to hold back from screaming out in pain, sending a forceful kick to the walker's kneecap. There was a slight crunch as Daryl was leaning heavily on the pole and heaving to catch his breath.

The walker just kept coming though and Daryl tried to kick it in the knee again. Only this time, the walker ended up falling forward onto him and knocking him against the wall unexpectedly. His head smacked back into the wall once again as he quickly managed to push the walker off just before it could take a bite out of him, his left hand throbbing.

His nerves were about shot as he noticed he was shaking, his legs feeling like they were about to collapse from under him. He could feel the handcuff dig into his right wrist though ignored compared to what he was feeling in his shoulder, hand, and head. He felt like he couldn't breathe, the room suddenly suffocating. And all he could do was fight the urge to pass out and let the Governor win.


	34. Ok, Time For Plan B

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I apologize for all the cliffhangers and stuff. Yeah.

* * *

_**Ok, Time For Plan B.**_

Daryl got one good kick in knocking the walker back quite a ways. It allowed him a brief moment to try and collect himself as he hugged onto the pole. The cool metal felt relieving against the side of his face. He shut his eyes and tried to take a few deep breaths. The Governor didn't seem like he was coming back—or if he was, he was waiting until he knew Daryl had a guaranteed death sentence of a walker bite. And there was no way he could kill the stupid thing in the situation he was in.

A hand clasped onto his good shoulder making him flinch, his eyes snapping back open. And without even thinking, he threw his left arm out only for his injured hand to collide with a solid force of that of a body.

"Jesus—fuck!" Daryl screamed, bringing his left hand back to his chest and trying to shut the pain out.

"Well, ya didn't have to smack me."

Daryl realized then that it wasn't the walker that had grabbed his shoulder. The walker was on the ground with a hole in its head. It was Merle that was standing by his side now, a slight grin twitching on his face.

"Took ya long enough…" Daryl muttered, hugging back onto the pole. "Asshole."

"In my defense, I had no clue you was even here. But I'm here now ain't I?" Merle reached out and carefully peeled Daryl off of the pole, "Sit down 'fore ya pass out on me. You are still with me, right?"

"Yeah," Daryl reopened his eyes, not even realizing he had shut them again in the first place. He allowed Merle to help lower him back to the ground to sit. He felt miserable, not to mention pathetic for the fact that he couldn't sit by himself with somehow injuring himself further.

Merle bent down in front of him with a stern look on his face while he looked his younger brother over. "Governor did all this, didn't he?"

Daryl only managed a nod. His vision kept going in and out of focus while his brain was pleading for unconsciousness to take over, pleading for sleep now that he was technically out of harm.

"I'm gonna go find the key and get ya outta here. So hang in there, alright?" Merle patted his good shoulder before he stood back up and exited the room.

Daryl rested his head against the pole and sighed. It was a good thing Merle got there when he did because he couldn't take much more. If Merle hadn't of shown up when he did, Daryl probably would have been lunch or dinner—whatever time of day it was—for the walker. He was having a hell of a time trying to keep his eyes open. He felt like he was beginning to drift off, his weight shifting towards the ground before he jolted awake and resituated himself against the pole, cursing all the while.

All he wanted to do was curl up in a damn ball and go to sleep. Was that too much to ask?

When he heard the door reopen and close, he'd be lying if he said that didn't spike his heart rate in the least bit. He glanced down at his right hand while Merle stuck the key in the lock and pulled the cuff off of him. This was the first time he really even paid any attention to that hand as he noticed his wrist was pretty cut up and rubbed raw from where the handcuff was.

"Okay, think you can get back on your feet?" Merle questioned him. It was an honest question and Daryl could tell that he wasn't trying to be a smartass about it, which was a relief. Merle actually seemed concerned, and that only made Daryl that much more worried about their predicament.

And without Daryl's consent, Merle managed to bend down and grab him, pulling him up to his feet with no effort on Daryl's part. The sudden movement sent the room spinning as Daryl quickly clenched his fist onto Merle's shirt to steady himself. He had the urge to throw up but kept it down.

"I'm good. I'm okay," Daryl released Merle's shirt. He attempted to push Merle back so he could have some space but Merle didn't budge. "I got it."

"Like hell you do. You can barely stand on your own," Merle draped Daryl's right arm over his shoulders and grabbed a hold of his left side to keep him steady.

Daryl grudgingly allowed it. He hated for anyone to have to help him, Merle especially. But he really didn't see any other way around it because Merle was right. He was relying heavily on Merle to support him as his head was still a bit fuzzy and the aching pain nagging at him.

"You got a lot of explainin' ta do," Daryl muttered as Merle drug him along through the building. The place barely had any lighting and looked like something straight out of a damn horror flick. Daryl _felt_ like he just made it through a horror flick.

"I ain't the only one," Merle retorted.

Merle led the way through a set of doors that took them outside. The sun was now out and bright as ever as Daryl had to squint his eyes to adjust to the sudden harsh light. It was a breath of fresh air to be out of that room. Daryl racked his brain and tried to come up with an approximate amount of time he had been stuck in Woodbury. It was night when he got there with Maggie and T-Dog.

A gasp brought Daryl's attention back and to a figure not too far off, Merle still leading the way. He took in the familiar piercing teal eyes and blonde hair. If Merle wasn't there supporting him, he'd almost guess he was hallucinating all of it.

"Make yourself useful, Blondie. Keep the Governor busy," Merle barked at her.

Andrea nodded, "I'll do whatever I can." Her eyes locked onto Daryl with a frown tugging at her lips. "I'm so sorry," she whispered with her hand covering her mouth before she took off.

"You even know what you're doing?" Daryl questioned his older brother as he led them over towards a wall much similar to how Daryl and the others had gotten in originally.

"'Course I know," Merle waved his right arm over at the wall. Daryl caught a glimpse of metal shining in the sun light and didn't realize how he hadn't noticed sooner: Merle's right hand had been replaced with a metal contraption housing a bayonet attachment of the sorts. And to think he was dangerous enough without a weapon attached to his now apparent stump…

Before Daryl knew it, they were out of Woodbury and in the woods. The further they got away from that town, the better Daryl began to feel—though not much.

"You're goin' the wrong way. Need to go that way," Daryl slightly nodded his head in the direction that the motel was in.

"You sure your sense of direction wasn't thrown off along with everything else?" Merle snickered. "You barely have your eyes open and I'm supporting more than half your weight right now, little brother."

"Fuck you. I know what I'm talking about. Just 'cause I look like shit don't mean I don't know where I am." Daryl spat back at him, though his words were only half true. He was still a bit confused but he knew the motel was that direction. That was the one thing he couldn't forget.

"Alright, alright. Settle down, Darlina. No need to be bustin' any gaskets."

Luckily there weren't any walkers in immediate sight. But a flash of something caught Daryl's eye as he felt Merle tense, jerking him back and raising his right arm defensively.

Daryl noticed the flash that caught his attention was a katana being thrust towards Merle, a scowl on its owner's face. He then recognized Tyreese behind her accompanying Rick. Disregarding the angry woman, Daryl had never felt more relieved to see some more familiar faces—especially Rick.

Rick stepped in front of the woman and gently pushed the blade of the katana towards the ground.

"Ain't this a pretty sight. Ol' Officer Friendly pick you up along the way?" Merle mocked the woman. There was still a fair amount of anger plastered on her face as she took a step forward at Merle's words.

"What the hell happened here?" Rick demanded, ignoring Merle's remarks. He caught a glimpse of Daryl and the condition he was in before shooting a glare at Merle.

Merle scoffed, "You really think now's a good time for story tellin'?"

Daryl rested his eyes while the three bickered, Tyreese butting in every so often to tell them to calm down. He hadn't realized he started to slightly sway before his knees buckled, Merle no longer holding onto him.

Tyreese lunged forward and caught Daryl before he could face plant himself into the ground. The others fell silent and Merle wrapped his right arm around Daryl's waist to pull him back up and out of Tyreese's grasp.

"Not good," Rick muttered.

"He's fine," Merle shot back at him while he shook Daryl's uninjured shoulder. "Daryl? C'mon now…"

"What happened to him?" Rick stared hard at Merle, expecting nothing less than an answer.

"What do ya think happened to him?" Merle challenged him as he narrowed his eyes.

Daryl reopened his eyes and shifted his weight back onto his feet while the two fell silent again. He blinked a few times before noticing everyone was staring at him. "What?"

"You blacked out on us," Rick explained.

That's when Daryl realized Merle had his arm around his waist to help keep him upright. Daryl slightly nodded in understanding, pushing Merle's arm off of him. Damn—if they hadn't said anything he would have never known he blacked out.

"How many times you get hit in the head? I've never seen you this clumsy before." Merle grabbed a hold of Daryl's right arm to balance him back out again as he started leaning to the left.

"I wasn't keeping tabs, my bad," Daryl rolled his eyes.

"We need to get back to the motor inn. See if Hershel can help," Rick instructed.

"Who the hell is Hershel?" Merle raised an eyebrow.

"He's not coming back with us—"

Rick gently pushed the woman back as he narrowed his eyes and sighed. "He's our best chance at getting Daryl fixed up. And whatever unresolved problem the two of you have," Rick glanced back and forth between the woman and Merle, "you better fix it. And fast."

Merle gritted his teeth but complied with a nod. He threw Daryl's arm around the back of his neck again, "C'mon, baby brother. I ain't gonna carry ya."

Daryl scoffed as Rick took his other side to help support him, "Jackass…"

* * *

**Another short one, but we're getting closer and closer to the end of this story. I think I'm actually a bit anxious. It'll feel good to say that it's completed when the time comes. **


	35. Finding Home

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** And now onto a longer chapter, woohoo! Warning for Merle's mouth. I feel like Merle's name alone should be a warning in itself anymore.

* * *

_**Finding Home.**_

It had been advised by Rick before he left to stay inside and stick together but honestly, the group was having a hard time trying to follow those orders. Rick only wanted it that way after what happened the last time Woodbury rolled through taking Glenn and Olivia, guns blazing.

Skyler sat outside on the hood of a car with Andrew by her side. She told Leah to stay with the others and of course that sparked a little fire. Leah wanted to wait outside with her and when she couldn't have it her way she argued that it was stupid—which really, it was. But Andrew hadn't left her side since, keeping an eye out for any movement. They both had their pistols and they weren't too far from making an escape to the nearest room if shit did hit the fan unexpectedly.

Skyler sighed as she hugged a knee to her chest and rested her chin. She felt Andrew clasp a hand on her shoulder and give a slight reassuring squeeze.

"You hanging in there?" Andrew took his hand back.

"As best as I can," Skyler glanced over at him and forced a smile. She turned back to staring out at the road, "We're all falling apart. This Woodbury place? It's torn us to shreds. And here I thought all we really had to worry about were walkers." She paused to choke out a small laugh, "Now it's like the walkers are nothing."

"They're still something. They just don't have the same intelligence as the rest of us. Still dangerous," Andrew replied.

Skyler nodded in response. It was approaching yet another night. There was probably only a few hours left before the sun set once again. Skyler knew she couldn't take another night of hoping and praying, of _waiting_. She could barely stand to wait any longer as it was with her rear end firmly planted on the hood of that car.

Either her prays were finally answered in that moment or she was about to face another nightmare, but she could hear the faint sound of voices approaching. At this point, all she knew was that she could hear _someone_ talking. She slid off the car and grabbed her pistol, clicking the safety off and loading it all while she was walking forward. If these people were a part of Woodbury, she'd blow their damn heads off.

"Hey—" Andrew jumped after her, snatching her by the arm and pulling her back. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Better yet, what do you think you're trying to prove?" He pulled her back to the side of the car as they both crouched down, waiting.

"I'm done playing games," Skyler steadied her gun in front of her as she watched the street. The voices had disappeared—either too quiet to be heard or dissipated altogether.

But when five figures emerged from around the corner and entered into the parking lot, she froze. In that moment all that mattered was that she recognized Daryl among them. But from this distance, she was afraid to try and guess whether he was dead or alive. The amount of blood that he was covered in had her stomach churning, a wave of nausea threatening to rear its ugly head. He looked worse than she had ever seen him before. And without another thought, she bolted straight for them.

"Daryl?—" Skyler's voice cracked as she came to a halt just in front of the small group. She gripped the pistol tighter in her hand as she fought back any tears.

"He's okay, he's just unconscious," Rick tried to reassure her using his all too familiar smooth talking charm.

This whole event felt like the time Rick had brought Daryl back when they were on the farm. Skyler was almost certain Rick had used the same words then too. The only difference was that Daryl looked a lot worse now than he did then.

Any other words that Skyler meant to form were trapped in her throat. She forced her head to nod before she realized Andrew was by her side again.

"Where's Olivia?" Andrew questioned. One of the things Skyler was trying to work out of her mouth.

"Who?" The tall older man that was supporting Daryl spoke, raising an eyebrow. Skyler vaguely recognized him to be Daryl's older brother, Merle. She had seen him maybe once or twice before, not too familiar with him.

"I should be asking who you are. All you new people keep popping up," Andrew crossed his arms.

"Yeah? Well here's a little newsflash for ya: I was here before all y'all _niggers_ showed up," Merle retorted. He had a glare locked onto Andrew, Andrew returning the favor.

"Christ… Not now! Get Hershel!" Rick demanded, raising his voice enough to break up whatever was about to go down.

Andrew hesitantly turned away from them and headed back towards the farthest rooms to retrieve Hershel. The others weren't aware of their return yet.

"What about—Andrea?" Skyler practically choked trying to speak. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't tear her eyes away from Daryl's unconscious form seemingly hanging lifeless between Merle and Rick.

"Told her to keep the Governor busy. Was the only way I could get out of there with Daryl," Merle briefly explained.

Rick looked passed Skyler before casting a glance at Merle, "You got him?"

Merle glanced back at Rick, slightly confused before giving him a nod.

Rick carefully maneuvered his way out as Merle made sure to keep Daryl upright. Rick stepped towards Skyler just as she turned her head to see that everyone was outside now, staring. Leah already had tears in her eyes and Skyler had to look away, covering her mouth.

"Hey, hey, hey—" Rick stepped in front of her and grabbed her by her arms to face her. Skyler only hugged him and buried her face into his chest as she tried to stifle her cries. "He's okay. I was just talking to him earlier. He's a little out of it but he'll recover."

Skyler kept her arms wrapped around Rick until she felt okay to step back. She quickly wiped her face before she noticed Merle had disappeared with Daryl, along with Hershel and Leah, assuming they were all in the same room at the moment assessing Daryl's wounds.

"Is there anything… I can do?" Tyreese offered.

Rick shook his head, "This is as good as it gets right now. But I think we should start packing and start thinking about leaving."

"But we don't have the fuel?" Skyler wiped her face on her shoulder.

"We'll just have to siphon what we can from the cars around here and the Hyundai. We'll have to try and all fit in the RV. It's our best option right now." Rick rested his hands on his hips. "We can't withstand another attack like that. We need more guns, more ammo if we were to take that on—and that's something we don't have. We don't even have protection anymore since they know we're here."

Lori joined them as the others still hung back. She briefly rubbed Skyler's back in a comforting manner as Skyler noticed Glenn, Maggie, Beth, and Carl were all missing now.

"Where is everyone?" Skyler looked to Lori. Tyreese and Rick were still standing close by as Michonne wandered over closer towards everyone, somewhere in the middle.

"They're all doing what they can to help Daryl," Lori answered. She forced a weak smile.

Skyler nodded. She should be with them too. She should be there with Leah and Daryl. She just couldn't bring herself to move right away.

Merle walked back out of the room and began to approach once again. Rick had already started moving towards him before Merle made it all the way back, and Skyler, Lori, and Tyreese found themselves following.

"Now—what happened in Woodbury?" Rick started.

Merle pursed his lips, "I don't know all the details. I didn't even know y'all got tangled up with the Governor until I saw the chink standing in the middle of the arena. Hell, didn't know he had Daryl until just earlier today."

"His name is Glenn." Maggie was walking towards them now with Glenn in tow.

"We need to go on a run. Hershel said we need antibiotics or else Daryl—" Glenn stopped short as Rick raised his hand in the air to silence him.

"I don't want to sound like the bad guy here, but we can't do that. Not right now."

Skyler assumed this was as good a time as any to finally go see Daryl. She needed to steer clear of any arguments that could unfold and try to put herself at ease. As she approached the room, Hershel, Beth, and Carl were stepping out. Skyler stopped for a moment until they forced a small smile in her direction before heading over towards Rick and the others. Skyler took a deep breath and entered the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Her eyes landed on Daryl as he was looking back at her, sitting on the edge of the bed. She felt so much more relieved to see that he was awake and moving.

"Hey," Daryl greeted her. Leah was sitting next to him while he was holding his left wrist. It wasn't until Skyler sat down next to him that she really noticed his hand.

"Oh my God…" Skyler whispered. Her eyes were glued to the damage. Hershel hadn't patched anything up yet, the amount of blood he was still covered in being evident enough.

"Hershel said it'll heal alright. I can still move my fingers a bit but I may not get full function back." Daryl slightly wiggled his fingers to demonstrate, cringing. "Still got my right hand though so I can't complain. My brother and I make a lovely pair."

Skyler shook her head in disbelief, "What… happened? Where's Olivia?"

Daryl was silent for a moment staring down at the floor. Skyler only guessed he was trying to figure out how to answer her questions. "He's a sick guy," Daryl mumbled.

"That's it?" Skyler was expecting more from him than just that. She didn't want to necessarily push him into telling her, but she could handle it. She'd feel better prepared if she knew the truth.

"That's all I'm willing to tell you right now," Daryl replied.

"Is she even alive?" Skyler bit her lip.

Daryl shook his head in response, his gaze still locked on the floor. Skyler knew the answer before she even asked. She knew Olivia had to be dead with the condition that Daryl was in and T-Dog having been killed as well. She was grateful Glenn and Maggie were okay, not to mention Leah with what happened in the woods. She was thankful for Tyreese and his sister for being there and providing her with hope that there were still some decent people out there.

"Rick wants to get us out of here before they can attack again," Skyler broke the silence and filled Daryl and Leah in on what she was told.

"Good. It shoulda already been done though."

Skyler could see that Daryl was in deep thought and that worried her. He seemed like he was only half there and when he spoke, he sounded completely drained. Of course she couldn't blame him. She couldn't even imagine what he went through while he was gone.

"If it would have been you or Leah…" Daryl stopped and shook his head. "If it would have been you or Leah, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd probably be dead because I wouldn't leave there without killing that guy."

Skyler stared down at the floor now as she let her mind process that. He was talking about whatever happened to Olivia.

"This 'Governor'… raped and beat her. He had me bound to a chair and he shot her in the chest. He killed her and there was nothing I could do," Daryl lowered his voice. "She came back… And I had to put her down. That—_that _is how sick this guy is. I don't want either one of you anywhere near him or Woodbury."

Skyler slowly turned to look at him now as Leah immediately hugged his right arm in silence. She couldn't believe it—she didn't _want_ to believe it. She may not have been the closest to Olivia but it still hurt. She and Leah had been with Olivia since the beginning really and after all this time, everyone felt like family. She tried not to think too much about it though. She just wanted to focus on the positive.

"I'm just glad you're… okay. I'm glad you're finally back," Skyler placed a hand on his leg and forced a smile when he looked back at her. "Both of us."

The room fell silent again just before a lot of commotion seemed to get stirred up outside. Someone was shouting and Skyler's heart started racing, thinking the worst. _It can't be another attack. Not now…_

Daryl cursed under his breath and slowly worked his way back onto his feet. Leah jumped off the edge of the bed and reached out for Daryl, stopping just short of grabbing him.

"You can't be up and walking—" Leah warned.

"I'm fine…" Daryl muttered. He grabbed his knife from off the table and slid it into the sheath on his belt. Merle must have placed it there alongside his crossbow. "It's probably just my brother…"

Skyler got back to her feet just as Daryl stepped out of the room. Leah immediately followed after him with Skyler not too far behind. Whatever fear she had was quickly washed away at the sight of everyone crowding around Andrea. In fact, the sight brought a smile to Skyler's face. Andrea was alive and back.

"…couldn't find the Governor. They know you're gone, Merle. And they know you took Daryl. I told Milton and Martinez that I was going after you to try and stop you. I had no choice. I had to get here as soon as I could." Andrea was explaining to everyone. Skyler wondered how she knew they were here at the motel but figured she must have overheard conversations at Woodbury. That or by process of elimination—there was nothing else around.

"So what are you saying? You think they're coming?" Rick's hand rested on his holster.

Andrea took a deep breath and slowly nodded, "I'm sorry. I tried to find him as soon as I saw Merle and Daryl. I couldn't find him so I left as soon as I could to at least… warn you guys."

Carol hugged Sophia to her chest as Lori instinctively placed a hand over her belly, gently pushing Carl behind her with her other hand. Glenn stepped forward as if to protect Maggie from Andrea's words while Beth hugged her father. It was obvious everyone was beginning to feel helpless at this point. There was nothing they could really do.

Rick ran his hands through his hair, "Is everyone at least armed? If not, grab a weapon of some sort. Merle, Tyreese, Glenn—help me with the vehicles. We're gonna need to get the RV up and running with enough fuel to at least make it out of here. Everyone else—gather what you can and keep an eye out. We've gotta do this and we've gotta do this now."

The group split up and did as Rick instructed. Andrea approached Michonne off a little ways away from everyone else spiking Skyler's curiosity but let it slide. She kept Leah by her side, both of them armed with a pistol courtesy of Daryl way back from their shooting lesson. Andrew was back to carrying the fire axe around with him from off the outside of the motel wall 'in case of emergency'. Everyone was scattered about trying to prepare themselves.

"Do you really think they'll attack again?" Leah looked to Skyler, her pistol gripped tightly in her hands. Skyler had led her over to one of the vehicles towards the back. They were both taking cover behind it and keeping an eye out.

Skyler didn't want to lie but she also didn't want to scare Leah. Knowing it was best, she stuck with the truth. "I think so… And I think what Rick said is right: we have to get out of here. The sooner the better."

Leah nodded, "What can we do then? I don't want to just sit here and wait for it to happen."

"Right now I think that's the best thing you and I can do. We're staying out of everyone else's way and we're keeping an eye out." Truly, it was the only way Skyler knew she'd be able to keep Leah safe and out of harm's way was sitting back and doing nothing. And if that meant that she had to do nothing as well, then so be it. She wasn't about to let something happen to Leah.

Minutes passed before there was a rumble of an engine. And it took a moment before Skyler realized that it wasn't coming from the parking lot. When a Dodge Ram pulled up just outside of the motel with a trailer hitched onto the back, she immediately felt her heart sink. And just seconds after that, two men closest to the parking lot exited the truck and opened fire.

Skyler pulled Leah closer and ducked down even lower. She tried to look through the car windows and see what exactly was going on before she realized there was another man opening the trailer. There were four men in total, one of them wearing an eye patch over his eye. But what was in the trailer only made matters even worse: They had brought walkers.

The firefight didn't last too incredibly long before two of the four men hopped back into the truck and got out of there, the other two dead. Skyler noticed the man with the eye patch was one of them that got away, having a strange feeling that he could have very well of been the Governor.

Skyler and Leah got back on their feet and ran around the car towards the others. Walkers they could handle, men firing semiautomatics… not so much. They each shot down a few walkers before Skyler saw a flash of red to her right. She turned to look and felt her stomach doing flips. Maggie had been shot.

Glenn, Hershel, and Beth were surrounding her and hoisting her to her feet. Skyler pulled Leah closer to her side as she backed them up, shooting any walkers that came their way.

"We'll take care of the walkers, get her into one of the rooms!" Skyler yelled over all the commotion.

"Thank you," Hershel nodded. Beth ran for one of the rooms and threw the door open while Glenn and Hershel led Maggie in. Beth slammed the door shut and it at least made Skyler feel better knowing they were safer there than out in the parking lot.

Carl and Lori were the next to join Skyler and Leah. The four of them worked together in trying to take out the walkers staying in a tight formation.

"Is everyone else okay?" Skyler leaned closer to Lori.

"So far, yeah," Lori replied.

Skyler's eyes searched for Daryl and the others. She was first able to spot Rick, Merle, and Tyreese the furthest out from everyone, then Andrea, Michonne, and Daryl. Carol and Sophia ran for the room next to the one the others had gotten Maggie into. Sasha and Andrew then joined Skyler, Lori, and the kids.

"Get into a room—now," Andrew instructed.

"But the walkers—and what about everyone else?"

"Women and kids don't need to be out here among the chaos."

"That's bullshit!" Carl shot back at Andrew. "I'm just as capable as shooting walkers as everyone else!"

"_Carl_," Lori half gasped, half warned.

"Now's not the time to argue. Just… come on, let's go," Sasha ushered the small group to the other room next to Maggie's.

Skyler was the last to follow, having stopped just outside the room to look back toward Andrew. He gripped the axe in his hands tighter and gave her a brief nod. A signal that things would be okay. And as Skyler turned and shut the door behind her, hating the fact that she felt like she was giving up retreating into a room, she could only hope that was true.

* * *

Merle had tried to shoot the Governor but it was a failed attempt. The dumb bastard from the Woodbury army had gotten in the way right at the last moment and ended up taking the bullet that was meant for Philip. About the only successful thing that had been accomplished was that no one else had been shot or injured other than Maggie—and that hardly felt like success.

"There's too many! They just keep coming!" Rick shouted overtop of the gunfire between him, Merle, and Andrea.

Andrew had stuck to using the fire axe while Glenn had managed to rejoin them, machete in hand. Michonne stuck to using her katana while Tyreese used a hammer. Merle resorted to using the bayonet attachment on his stump.

Overall, they were making a pretty good sized dent in the walker population that had surfaced. A few stragglers from out in the woods had heard the gunshots and joined what walkers had been delivered from Woodbury.

After being sucked into the moment, it took a while before Merle realized Daryl was outside somewhere when all of this went down. He cursed under his breath as he searched the surrounding area for him. He was able to spot him separated from the others facing three walkers with just his knife. It didn't take a genius to know that wasn't good.

"Blondie," Merle called out to her to get her attention, nodding her in Daryl's direction. He made his way over to Daryl as quickly as possible while Andrea and Michonne had joined him. Michonne quietly took out two of the three walkers while Merle got the last one before grabbing his brother. "You tryin'a get yourself killed!"

Daryl didn't respond to that though as Merle huffed in anger. It subsided pretty fast though as Merle helped get Daryl to one of the motel rooms and out of danger—something that should have been done a long time ago.

"You two stay here with him. I've got a bone to pick with some walkers," Merle ordered before taking off again.

Andrea couldn't argue. All she had on her was a pistol and the noise wasn't exactly helping. Merle had also saved her out there, pulling her away from being shot. The least she could do was keep Daryl inside that room.

Which turned out to be a lot easier of a task than she originally thought.

Andrea heard the knife hit the floor just as she and Michonne rushed to Daryl's side to grab him, preventing him from completely collapsing. Together they carefully lowered him to the floor on his back. He didn't look good and the Governor was to blame for all of it.

"I should have seen this coming. I should have known Philip would do something like this…" Andrea sighed, shaking her head. She tried not to think about the fact she didn't see Amy anywhere. Now wasn't the time. She had to do what she could to help protect everyone. "And I'm so sorry for… everything."

Michonne didn't say a word in return, only crossed her arms and watched as Andrea got down on her knees beside Daryl's unconscious body. The apology was meant for Michonne and what had happened between the two but she chose not to pay it any mind. Again, now wasn't the time for that.

Andrea carefully pushed Daryl's hair back out of his face, her hand just grazing his forehead. She stopped though, furrowing her brow before she placed her hand flat across his forehead. She looked to Michonne, confused, "He's burning up."


	36. Can't Be Saved

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** These last few chapters might be a bit short. Or just varying lengths in general.

* * *

_**Can't Be Saved.**_

Once everything fell silent, Leah bolted through the motel room door and headed outside. Skyler had followed behind her as the others began to peek out from the rooms next door. All of the walkers seemed to be dead but she didn't see Daryl anywhere. Rick, Glenn, Tyreese, Andrew, and Merle were all still outside though. She did what she assumed was the next best thing and approached Merle.

"Where is he? Where's Daryl?" Leah's eyes were still searching the area out of desperation but the only bodies that were on the ground were those belonging to walkers.

Merle only looked down at her and gave her a brief nod of understanding, "Left him in here with Andrea and Michonne." He walked over towards one of the rooms and opened the door, yielding to Leah and Skyler to enter first, following right behind them.

Leah froze at the sight though with Skyler by her side. Merle had walked a little further into the room but all three of them were confused as to why Andrea was crying, Michonne appeared to be trying to comfort her, and Daryl was unconscious yet again, lying on the floor.

"Why the tears? We got them walkers taken care of," Merle scratched the back of his neck, looking back and forth between the three he had left in the room earlier.

Andrea shook her head. She tried to pull herself back together as she wiped under her eyes, unable to find her voice. She carefully grasped a hold of Daryl's collar and pulled his shirt back only to expose a fresh wound near his right shoulder. Andrea finally managed to choke out the words, "We didn't take care of the walkers soon enough."

Leah collapsed at Andrea's words. She could feel the tears sting at her eyes and as much as she wanted to turn and run away, she couldn't. Daryl had been bit. He was cornered by walkers, too weak and vulnerable to fend them off. This was the outcome.

"No… No," Skyler shook her head. "But he just—he just made it back here—"

Merle walked forward now, getting down beside Daryl. He grabbed him by the chin and slightly shook his head before lightly slapping his face, "Dammit, Daryl. Wake up. Don't be stubborn. Open them damn eyes o' yers, baby brother. Now ain't the time to be takin' a nap."

Daryl began to stir, first opening his eyes before shoving Merle's hand off his face. "What the hell?..."

Leah immediately got back on her feet and ran for him. She collided into Daryl just as he managed to sit up, almost knocking him back down. No matter how hard she tried to hold back her tears and no matter how much she had grown since the world went to shit, she couldn't help it. She hugged Daryl as hard as she could while burying her face into his good shoulder, crying.

Nobody said anything for the longest time. The only movement in that room was Andrea getting back on her feet. Leah didn't want to let go. She didn't want to move from where she had situated herself with her arms wrapped around Daryl and his around her. But the small kiss on the top of her head was an indication if any to let him get up. So she hesitantly let go of him and got back on her own feet.

Merle and Skyler stepped forward now and each helped Daryl up before he could protest. He muttered under his breath, "I ain't handicap, I can still walk…"

Leah could tell Daryl was trying to avoid eye contact with everyone in the room. But of course, all eyes were on him—whether it was out of shock or fear. It was a little bit of both for Leah. Daryl was the last person she'd ever even picture getting bit by a walker. He always seemed like he had things covered no matter the situation. He seemed damn near invincible. And now that he was bitten…

There was a light knock on the door before it opened a crack. Rick had come to check up on everyone that had disappeared into the room once he checked up on everything and everyone else. He didn't get a word in before Andrea and Michonne headed outside, pushing him and everyone else back and shutting the door behind them. They did it on purpose, allowing Leah, Skyler, and Merle to have a moment to themselves with Daryl. Only that didn't quite happen.

"Can I uh… have a moment with just Merle?" Daryl glanced over towards Skyler briefly before looking away again. Skyler had been crying as well but she was able to remain a bit more composed than Leah. At least thus far.

Leah stared at Daryl in disbelief, a little devastated at the fact that he didn't want them there. She was close to protesting, but she guessed it made sense. Once she gave it some thought, she understood. Daryl just wanted to talk to his brother. And to think that they had just found each other again too…

Skyler nodded and hugged Leah to her side, rubbing her arm. Leah allowed Skyler to lead the way out of the room and shut the door behind them.

* * *

Daryl sighed once the door clicked shut behind them. He didn't know what the hell he was doing—he didn't know what to _do_. He pulled his shirt back and was just able to see the bite wound near his right shoulder, above where the Governor had stabbed him and a little off towards the side. He knew it was there without looking at it. But seeing it firsthand only gave him the confirmation. It made it real. There was no way out of it except for a headshot.

"Daryl? What're you doin'?" Merle asked just as Daryl sat on the edge of the bed. Merle walked over in front of him and stared, waiting for a response to explain his actions.

"…Did you kill Elena?" Daryl couldn't help but think about her under the circumstances. She had practically suffered the same bite wound, and if he was going down, he needed closure.

"What? What does that—"

"Just answer the question, Merle. Did you kill her or did you leave her to turn?" Daryl slightly raised his voice yet still managed to avoid eye contact, staring down towards the floor.

"I didn't let her turn," Merle answered quietly in return, lowering his head. "Knew you really cared 'bout her. Did what I had to…"

Daryl nodded, "Thank you."

It was quiet for a short while, both of them either staring at the floor or the wall for the most part. Daryl hadn't provided Merle with any eye contact since he had woke up. But he knew Merle was just as uncomfortable with the situation. He could tell by his voice alone. Things were different.

"Leah and Skyler… They're family too, ya know?" Daryl broke the silence.

Merle shook his head, "For you."

"No—they're _our_ family. And you gotta promise me… promise me you'll protect them because I—I can't…" Daryl admitted. He shut his eyes and tried to ignore the pain that was radiating from his shoulder more so than anywhere else at the moment. He tried to ignore the words that he had just said. He typically had no problem accepting the reality of things but this was different. He had, what, eight hours tops? And who was to say how much time had passed already? All he could think about was Elena, and Leah and Skyler.

Daryl opened his eyes once he felt a pressure difference on the bed to the right of him as Merle sat down, leaving a space between them for comfort. Merle cleared his throat, a sign that he was fighting back tears, and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

"You remember the first time we ever went huntin' up at the cabins?" Merle changed the subject and allowed the slightest smile to creep across his face at the memory.

Daryl vaguely smiled as well, "With dad and uncle Jess?"

"Yeah, you's about ten the first time you really went up there… Dad was a bit drunk but uncle Jess took us out for a bit. Jess and ol' Buck." Merle continued, "You was just as eager as a bloodhound chasin' a 'coon."

Daryl laughed a little at that comment, "Only 'cause that was the first time any of ya let me do anything. You were the one who would come home bragging 'bout huntin', rubbing it in my face."

It fell silent again after they shared in a few good memories, a moment passing before Daryl looked over at Merle. Merle was already looking back at him, the first time they really even physically acknowledged each other since they'd been alone in that room.

"Whatever happens… Just don't let me turn."

Merle put his arm around him and rested his hand on his good shoulder with a nod.

* * *

_I've had this ending planned before I even had chapter one finished. Believe me, I've almost talked myself out of it numerous times but finally decided to stick with it. I apologize for any emotional damage that I have/will cause._


	37. Pain

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I probably should have just combined this chapter with the last one but oh well. It was a good time to break. This story has been one heck of a hefty mess and so are these last remaining chapters. I'll explain more on the last chapter, which happens to be the next one. And by more, I mean it'll probably be like a paragraph long… Bear with me?

I also just wanted to say thank you to those of you who are reviewing. I apologize for not PM'ing you back personally but at this point I'll admit I really don't know what to say. Please don't hate me too much?

* * *

_**Pain.**_

Leah felt paralyzed, staring at the door that Daryl and Merle were behind. Skyler kept hugging her close. Leah didn't think it fully hit her yet—it didn't fully hit anyone yet. It was hard to believe and no matter how many times she was faced with it, it didn't matter. Because it was Daryl.

Andrea was explaining to everyone that Daryl was bit, that she didn't know when and she didn't know how but he was. Most of the conversations that were happening around her just flew right over her head. She didn't care what anyone was saying.

For a moment she thought that it could have all been prevented—that if she and Skyler would have stood their ground and stayed outside to keep fighting the walkers that Daryl would be okay. But she realized too that Daryl could have been bit before all of that and she wouldn't have known. The thought alone just made her that much more upset, more tears flowing.

Leah walked a little ways away from Skyler and the others and managed to crawl onto the hood of a car. Sophia approached her and tried to talk to her but Leah didn't want her there. She simply pushed her away by ignoring her presence. And Sophia got it because she walked back to the group.

Carl approached her now and Leah tried to push him away just as well. She tried to ignore him but he made it difficult to when he climbed up on the hood of the car beside her.

"Just go away," Leah mumbled as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"No, I'm not leaving," Carl began. "I'm staying right here because that's what you do when you love someone. You fight and you stay."

Leah slowly turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. She had grown close to him over all the time they had spent together but she never would have pictured those words coming from his mouth. They were only thirteen and yet times like these made them feel much older, made them grow up even more.

Carl grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "I'm sorry, Leah. I wish there was something I could do."

"Just don't leave," Leah whispered to him.

"I won't," Carl replied.

Leah pulled her hand back and threw her arms around him now, squeezing him in a hug and crying even more. She was a complete disaster. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to say good-bye to Daryl. She needed him in her life.

Her mom died the same way. Her mom had been bit. There was nothing Daryl could do for her mom then just like there was nothing she could do for Daryl now.

It was then that she recalled all the times where she lashed out at him, feeling that much worse knowing she shouldn't have because he always did everything he could. He did what he thought was best for her _all the time_.

And there was never a time she wanted him now more than _ever_.

* * *

Skyler was at an absolute loss. There was nothing she could do to help anyone at this point, not even Leah. And watching her retreat into herself, walking away from everyone, only made her heart ache that much more.

It hadn't sunk in yet, the news still fresh and lingering on the surface. Everyone's voices sounded as if they had been muted and Skyler felt like she had been dragged into some other unknown hell beside the one that they were already living with the ambling walkers around every corner. Walkers that could apparently bring down _anyone_.

Skyler shook her head in attempt to shake the thought. Even with the injuries Daryl had it was hard to believe he was bit. None of it made any sense, though she supposed there wasn't any sense to be made of it. It was just cold hard facts now. Cold hard facts she didn't want to face.

By the time Skyler was able to break herself from her thoughts for a moment, she realized everyone had fallen silent. She glanced around to see who was around her for the first time since the walkers had been taken care of. Everyone was accounted for except for Maggie, Hershel, Beth, and Glenn. Then she remembered that Maggie had been shot.

"Is—is Maggie okay?" Skyler forced the words from her mouth as she looked over in Rick's direction. She looked to him more so than anyone else in the group, other than Daryl, whether he was still considered the leader or not. In fact, the Grimes family was the only ones left in the group that she truly felt like they were a part of her own family—with the way Daryl and Rick had become pretty close, she had Lori, and Leah had Carl.

Rick nodded, "She'll live. Might be a little while before she's back on her feet but Hershel said everything looks okay."

Skyler chewed at the corner of her mouth, registering Rick's words while still in a slight haze. Her subconscious thoughts were tearing at her. One in particular arose to the surface of her mind and she felt sick for even thinking it… But there was a slim part of her that wished she could trade Daryl and Maggie's fate. And just for thinking it, she felt like she could throw up. That wasn't her—this new world had made her think in ways she never would have before. She wished now more than ever that she could just go back in time to when she had her sister, apologize for all the stupid shit she had ever said to her, and spend every waking moment with her and Daryl, Leah, her husband, and her daughter.

She still couldn't figure out what was going to happen, what she was going to do. Losing Daryl meant that Leah had lost everyone who meant anything to her. Now all they had was each other.

No, Daryl was still alive. Maybe not for much longer but he was still living and breathing. Skyler refused to let herself think like that. But all she did know was that she would protect Leah the best that she could, make sure nothing happened to her or Skyler herself. Because Leah needed someone just as much as Skyler did.

Maybe it was selfish for Skyler to feel that way too. She was well aware she wasn't the only one to lose someone she loved. Over all the time she had spent with this group they had lost nine people. Nine lives that had just been taken right from under them, most of them having been from walkers. First it was Dale, then Alex, Jimmy, and Patricia. Shane had gone off the deep end and made an escape in all the chaos only to return and ultimately kill Amy and Lucas, having shot Amy and Lucas stayed with her. Shane met his match with the herd of walkers. Then they lost T-Dog and Olivia to Woodbury, and now Daryl.

It occurred to Skyler then that Andrea didn't know anything that happened over all of that time. She didn't know what happened to her sister just like Skyler didn't know what had happened to Elena. But Andrea would learn the truth soon enough. It was all too familiar.

It was dead silent now as everyone just kind of stood around, lost in a daze with their stare fixed on some random object. In a way it only made matters worse. The silence could be respected while everyone was reflecting on their thoughts but it almost drove Skyler a little insane. The more she let her mind drift, the more thoughts kept popping into her head, the more scenarios she tried to run through, the more she regretted things. She needed someone to speak up, to say _anything_ at this point just to give her something to focus on, to tear her from her thoughts.

But then the door to the room opened, pulling Skyler's attention in that direction as she watched Merle exit and close the door behind him. She felt like her heart had stopped if only for just a short moment, staring at the older Dixon, the Dixon brother she hardly knew other than some foggy memory of what he had looked like before all of this. She was waiting for him to announce to the group that Daryl was dead but he never said a word. Merle just walked away from the room, made direct eye contact with Skyler, and gave her the tiniest of nods before hanging his head in despair, his shoulders slightly slumped forward.

Even though Skyler didn't know Merle on a personal level, she could see the difference in him. Physically, he looked like a man no one wanted to mess with. A man that could tear a person to shreds if he so desired. Even with just a simple glare. That was something the two brothers certainly had in common. But watching Merle walk out of that room with a look of absolute defeat, he no longer seemed so threatening in the way he carried himself.

_That_ was when it started to feel real.


	38. Out Of Time

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** I've decided to stick the long note at the end of this chapter to explain some things. Stuff and thangs. Yeah…

* * *

_**Out of Time.**_

Skyler stood staring at the door, contemplating her next move. Of course she wanted to see Daryl but there was a nagging part of her that screamed she would regret it either way. She didn't want to see him like this but this was the last time she would see him alive.

Before she knew it her feet were shuffling toward the door and her hand was reaching for the door knob. She took a deep breath once her hand rested on the cold metal. Leah had joined her side in no time, a look of determination etched on her face, her eyes red from crying. Skyler wished that Leah didn't have to go through this because she had been through enough as it was.

And things were only going to be worse once they entered that room.

Skyler opened the door and allowed Leah to enter first. She stepped in and shut the door behind her as she bit her lip and tried not to cry. She wanted to stay strong for Leah but she also wanted to stay strong for Daryl. In some silly way, she knew he was probably worried about them and Skyler wanted him to know—to _see_ that things would eventually be okay. It would be a long time though.

Daryl was now sitting on the floor with his back propped up against the bed looking over in their direction. It was like he had just returned from Woodbury all over again. Only this time things were so much different.

"Hey," Skyler forced a shaky smile. She noticed Leah stopped just inside the room like she was afraid to approach him. She knew that wasn't the case—Leah was just afraid of losing him.

Skyler led the way over towards Daryl and sat beside him while Leah took his other side, immediately wrapping her arms around him. There were so many things she wanted to say to Daryl that her mind was flooded, unable to pull one thought free from another. She wanted to thank him for everything first off. She wanted to thank him for coming into her sister's life and changing her for the better, for providing Leah with a father figure. But she didn't want to bring any of that up because 1) she wasn't sure she could even say it without sobbing inconsolably and 2) she didn't want to upset Daryl or Leah any further than what they already were.

Since Skyler had sat down beside Daryl, she had resituated herself to sit facing him. She had decided to stay quiet for the time being, knowing that Daryl probably had a good idea of why she was and that it was nothing against him. Daryl was starting to fade in and out the longer they sat there. The fever on top of his injuries was starting to take a toll on him. Skyler lightly grabbed his face and leaned forward, kissing him on the lips. When she leaned back she noticed he had his eyes opened once again and was staring back at her.

"I love you—both of us love you," Skyler bit her lip as she locked eyes with him.

"You have shitty taste in men…" Daryl smirked.

Skyler choked out a laugh and wiped at her eyes. Daryl _would_ try to make this easier by cracking jokes but it didn't erase the fact that this was the last time they would see each other.

Leah moved closer to him and hugged him again, only this time crying into the side of his neck. Skyler could tell that she was hugging him pretty hard, Daryl grimacing in pain for just a brief moment before he hugged her back.

"You know what?" Daryl began, making Leah back up a bit to look at him. He placed his hand on the side of her face and wiped away a tear with his thumb. "You're beautiful. Just like your momma." He moved his hand to the back of her neck and kissed her on her forehead. His words only made Leah cry that much more though, Skyler fighting back tears of her own.

"Don't die—please don't die," Leah cried. "You can't—please…"

Daryl didn't say anything in return as he tried to look away. Skyler could see tears in his eyes which in turn made her cry.

Skyler wiped her face before she leaned in toward Daryl again, this time kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you," she finally found her voice before she made herself get back on her feet. She didn't want to leave and she knew Leah didn't either. They had no choice. Even though Skyler knew nothing about walker bites and what really happened during that whole process, she could tell Daryl was in pain—physically and emotionally. She could tell that he was trying to hide it but there was only so much he could do. He was already looking a bit pale.

Leah quickly kissed Daryl on the lips before hugging him again, crying all the while. "I love you," she whispered into his neck.

"I love you too," Daryl whispered back.

Leah leaned back on her knees and bit her lip before she climbed back onto her feet. She made to turn and leave with Skyler at that moment, having said all that she could. But she stopped when Daryl called out to her.

"Leah," Daryl got back on his feet and forced a smile. He shrugged his vest off before walking over towards the two of them. He threw the vest over her shoulders as she slid her arms into the arm holes. He took a step back and smiled, "Looks good on ya."

Leah hugged Daryl one last time before she eventually left the room with Skyler. And once they stepped outside, everyone was staring at them—Merle included. It didn't help seeing that Merle was holding a pistol before he tucked it into his waistband and locked eyes with Skyler again. Only this time Skyler was the one providing him with the tiniest of nods as she watched Merle walk back into the room.

* * *

Daryl was actually pretty shocked how fast the virus seemed to be spreading and taking a toll on him. His entire body ached down to the bone. The more time passed, the more pain he felt. His chest felt tight but he wasn't sure if that was from his emotions trying to get the best of him or solely the virus itself. Either way, it was making it harder for him to breathe.

So this was what Jim felt back at the quarry. They had tried to get him to the CDC in hope for a cure but ended up leaving him to die beside a tree. It didn't seem right. And Elena… She had been bit because of his own careless mistake of leaving her by herself. Just those couple minutes and everything had gone to shit. He only hoped she didn't feel any pain other than the physical bite since Merle had told him that he did what he had to do.

Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose as he drug his feet back to where he was sitting on the floor and sat back down. He rested the back of his head on the edge of the bed and sighed. He didn't want to drag this out. He was bit and he was going to die, that was final. He said his good-byes to those who mattered most—something he really didn't even want to do in the first place. He didn't know what to say and he sure as hell had no clue what to do. But he knew they needed it. He had no idea things would take a turn this fast though.

The sound of the door opening and closing once again had Daryl sitting back up straight, cringing at just that slight movement. He had to blink a few times before Merle came into focus. Even though they hadn't discussed it, Daryl had a pretty good idea of why Merle came back into the room.

"I can do it. Then you don't hafta…" Daryl muttered.

Merle stooped down in front of him then, staring him back in the eyes. He let the silence stretch out for a minute before sighing and dropping his gaze, "You know I love ya, right?"

Daryl stared back at him through half closed eyes and gave him a weak nod. Of course they had been through so much shit when they were younger, the constant battles and arguments, their old man, the drugs. But Daryl still knew that deep down Merle really did truly care. They were alike in so many ways when he thought about it. Daryl practically whispered in return, closing his eyes, "Yeah, I know."

"That—that's why I'm doing this. 'Cause you shouldn't have to nor should anyone else. 'Cause you're my brother and I love you."

Daryl reopened his eyes for a brief moment, looking Merle in the face one last time. He could tell that Merle was about to cry and dammit if that didn't hurt just as much as seeing Leah and Skyler—if not more. Daryl quickly rubbed at his eyes the best he could, refusing to let any tears fall. "…You too."

Merle pulled the gun from his waistband and set it on the floor next to him, both of their eyes set on the metal contraption. Daryl could tell that Merle didn't want to go through with this. But he also knew that Merle would want to be the one to do it—not Rick, nobody else. It had to be Merle because he wouldn't even allow Daryl to do it himself.

Merle looked back to Daryl, tears still threatening to flow over. He didn't even bother to try and wipe them away. Merle promised he would protect Leah and Skyler. That was Daryl's concern—and really, it was his only concern. He knew Merle would keep his word. And with that knowledge, Daryl stared down at the gun then back to him before slowly nodding and closing his eyes. Daryl could hear Merle cock the pistol and before he knew it, he could feel the presence of the gun lingering by the side of his head.

* * *

"Merle told us that… Dixons aren't made for saying good-byes. Told us that we should just let the three of you go on," Rick briefly explained to Skyler. "We would have said our… good-byes to him but we also wanted to respect any… last wishes as well."

Skyler nodded to let Rick know that she understood even though his words pained her. All the talk about 'good-byes' and 'last wishes'…

The rest of the group was still there, standing around close by, heads bowed down and quiet. From the moment Skyler and Leah set foot outside, Carl had wrapped Leah up into a hug and that was where she stayed. Rick and Lori came to Skyler's aid but Skyler was still keeping herself together. She was stuck somewhere between knowing everything that was happening was real, all of it feeling real, yet at the same time… it didn't.

"If we would have kept a closer eye on him—if _I_ would have kept a closer eye on him—" Rick began, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

Skyler shook her head. Rick couldn't blame himself and that was the last thing she wanted was for him to start feeling guilty. They were all guilty—especially Skyler. She should have known better. She should have put her foot down and fought Daryl to make him stay in that room in the first place before Woodbury decided to attack again. Sure she could have laid some harsh words on him, maybe even physically pushed him back, but that pain would never have amounted to what everyone was going through now.

Just as Skyler was about to say something in response to Rick, she was cut short by the sound of a gunshot. She froze in that moment, her brain failing to register what exactly that meant, trying to think of anything else _but_ that.

But she started to cry again. Only this time she didn't hold back. If it wasn't for Rick and Lori suddenly grabbing her by the arms and keeping her on her feet, she would have collapsed to the cold hard ground beneath her. She barely registered Lori pulling her into a tight hug as they cried together.

Leah hugged Carl as tight as she possibly could, his shirt now stained with her tears that kept streaming down her face and some of Daryl's blood that had been transferred from his vest—the vest that was now hers. There wasn't one person who had a dry face after that gunshot rang out.

Skyler just vaguely noticed Merle exiting from the room now as he shut the door behind him. Even from this distance she could see that his eyes were bloodshot from crying. He did it—Merle had shot Daryl. It was as if nothing else in the world was there in that moment; just a group of people grieving over the loss of someone dear to them—a brother, a father, a friend. Daryl was gone, just like that.

Skyler let go of Lori and backed up a bit, getting her footing. She stared at Merle before she began to walk over to him, catching his eye. And he was staring back at her now just before she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, not letting go. She half buried her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her in return. They may not have known one another but that didn't matter. He was technically family and Skyler knew that no matter how tough a Dixon could be, he needed that reassurance. Because good-byes were never easy.

* * *

_A/N: Firstly, I do want to explain that I am very well aware that it may not be believable that Daryl got bit simply because he was "too weak". I never clarified but it could be possible that he was bit when he was in Woodbury, therefore he wouldn't have been able to avoid it having been trapped in that room. The other possibility was that he could have been bit while trying to fight off the walker bomb. Either way, whichever one you wish to go with could technically be plausible. Daryl is not an invincible character and I do agree that he should go out with a bang. But I had it planned this way all along and this was the only way I saw suitable for an ending to this story._

_That being said, the title is "Adieu". By my understanding, it is French for "good-bye" and perhaps a more permanent meaning of the word. Not "I'll see you later" but _good-bye._ I wanted to end this story the same way I started it. Elena and Daryl both die due to a walker bite and they were both bit on their shoulder. Interpret that how you will. _

_Now that I feel like this note is becoming a short story in itself… I just wanted to say thank you for all of you who took the time to follow and read every chapter, especially those of you who reviewed along the way. I appreciate the favorites just as much. I appreciate all of it and you guys are the best. This turned out to be longer than I really ever expected it to be (100,000+ words coming from me?—Holy shit.) and to be honest, I'm not that overly thrilled with how it turned out overall. Some parts feel rushed to me while other parts could have used some speeding up, etc. Then I always feel like I'm forgetting something. But I guess I'm just a nitpicky person._

_I guess you could say I kind of left this a little open ended. I didn't resolve the conflict with Woodbury. It's kind of up to your imagination to fill in the rest. Whatever happens past the events in this story, Woodbury is the one who ends up in shambles. Nobody else is dying from Rick's group. (I suck at endings.) I guess I could make a sequel, though I have no idea where I would really go with it. I'm going to miss my OCs._

_I apologize for the long note and again, thank you so much!_

_xoxo _


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